Week 3: Install Magnetic Door Stop

Week 3: Install Magnetic Door Stop

Week 3 was supposed to be about installing new ceiling lighting to our laundry room and closet. We set out to do this only to find a broken dome in the package. I ran off to Lowe's to exchange the lighting and we pushed this project back to next week. While I was gone, Tyler installed our new magnetic door stop in the Master Bathroom.

I am pretty much a big time clutz. I bump into things, bruise and generally hurt myself a few times a week. One of my daily bumps was coming from the bathroom door in the mornings. We have a single sink in our BR and this means sharing the sink with my large shouldered hubby. I move myself over as far as I can to the side to let him do his thing but it never fails, that darn door gets me. To solve this, I found a magnetic door stop to keep the door from coming open when our robes get in the way. Here is the before:

As you can see, it was not a functional space. So we needed to make it better. I had seen these in a mail-order catalog and then happened upon them at Home Depot later on. I think I paid about $6.50 for it, saving at least $3 from what the catalog was charging. I think it turned out great and no more bumps have taken place.... yet :)

Here is the after:

and the zoom out:


Week 3 Goal: Attempt lighting again

Week 2: Prime the Ugly Room

Week 2: Prime the Ugly Room

This week brings up one of the eye sores, no scratch that, THE eye sore of our home. We affectionately refer to it as The Ugly Room. Never have you seen a room with this much Ug to it. There is just so much wrong with this room. From the Minnesota Gophers striped colors to the horribly done crown moulding.... there just isn't a lot going on for our 3rd bedroom. The day we closed on the House, we ripped down the oak crown moulding. The angles were all wrong and it just butted up piece to piece instead of being mightered. In one word: UGLY.

This room to Tyler and I has always been the Nursery, and the Ugly Room is what we explained to Family. Friday the Ugly Room got dismantled. My Mom was up with my family for a wedding and she made it her mission to make the Ug go away. I think she did a good job. Take a look for yourself:










The color is not all the way gone, but the satisfaction of the fading colors is written all over our faces. Thank you, Mom! We think it is a great start to a new future for the Ugly Room :)

Week 2 Goal: Replace overhead lighting in Laundry Room and Master Bedroom Closet

Week 1: New Mailbox

Week 1: New Mailbox

This week we decided that the leaning mailbox had to go. Week 1's project was wet n' wild, full of rain, holes filling in with water and mud, mud, mud, but we got it done and it looks great. I don't have a before picture, but lets just say that any improvement was going to be 100% better than what we had :) I will run down and take a pic when it stops raining.

Week 1 also brought us the annual planting of flowers. Each year I buy a little more and this year was no exception. I love having lots of color on the back patio and in the front. It just makes everything a little more cheery.

What did you do this weekend?

Week 2 Goal: Paint the Ugly Room (more on that later)

**Updated with Picture of finished mailbox.**

A Re-Introduction

We live in a small town. It is a great community. We moved here to start a family and honestly, it just might not be in the cards for us. While we haven't given up hope, we have really started to enjoy making our house a home; our home. This blog started out with Scrapbooking and rambling with no real purpose.

Today, Tyler asked what if we did one Home Improvement project/thing a week. I thought it was a great idea and all but ran to my Mac. So today, we start our 52 week challenge.

We have already done so much to this house to get it up to snuff, but there is so much more to do. Check back in weekly to see the Week's work and the results!

Spring Cleaning

It has been a busy, trying time in the Ru household. We have had a series of misfortunate happenings lately that have led to some serious work time. Let's run down the list from the last 2 weeks:

-Problem: Roof lost shingles
Fix: Tyler replace missing shingles Yay!

-Problem: Heater started to make noises
Fix: Had serviceman come out and Heater would not make said noise.... Result: $35 down the drain

-Problem: Fridge leaking water
Fix: Took everything out of Fridge and Freezer and dethawed frozen piping


So the good thing is that we have been able to fix or forget everything that has happened with little cost... but it has not been fun. It also brought on an onslaught of Spring Cleaning which is getting our House into great shape.

Hope Spring is finding you as well. Lots of motorcycle rides and the first peep of Tulips has given me the Spring Fever in a major way. Lots of love!

Spring Fever

As it turns cold again, I am so wishing and dreaming of Spring. For the first time ever, we are taking a proper Spring Break and I couldn't be more thrilled. I had surgery this past week that has had me off my feet for the past 5 days and I am getting through it by dreaming of sticking my toes in the sand.

Everything seems to be going well. School is truckin on.... ISATs are next week and then we will be primed and ready for Spring Break. Hope this finds you well!

Yay for February!

It has been quite an exciting week in the Ru Household :)

In town, our Radio station was having a "Words of Love" contest. You can win a HUGE spa package if you can identify the 5 songs in the 5-second clip montage (1 sec of each song). Well Monday night I was messing around on the Internets and I remembered the contest. I knew I was sure of 3 songs and I went on their site and figured out the other 2 clips. I wrote it all down and was ready to call in.

Tuesday morning came and sure enough, I was the first caller. Here were the songs:

Song 1 - Bon Jovi, "You Give LOVE A Bad Name"
Song 2 - The Cure, "Friday I'm In LOVE"
Song 3 - The Cardigans, "LOVEfool"
Song 4 - Soft Cell, "Tainted LOVE"
Song 5 - Leona Lewis, "Bleeding LOVE"

I had a slip up when I said Song 1 was "Shot Through the Heart" but they let me fix it and I was the big winner for the day. SO exciting. I didn't realize everything I had won, but knew it was BIG! Here is the prize package:

Valentine's Spa Day Package from Rod Sickler Salon & Spa that includes:

* A Myoxy Caviar Facial
* Eye Treatment
* Lip Treatment
* A 90-minute Radiant Rock and Swedish Massage combination
* A Spa Manicure & Pedicure
* Make-up Application & Lesson with LaBella Donna Cosmetics
* And a shampoo, blow-dry & style

I figured it out and it is close to $700 worth of spa treatments! I am so excited!!!