Fall Colors in My Yard

Happy December everyone! It is so nice to see the beautiful fall colors in my yard.  My tree is so pretty.  It's enjoying the Texas fall weather here before dropping the leaves off for the winter.  Nature is amazing.

It's A Pajama-Kind-of-Weather Today

It was raining all afternoon, thank goodness.  It was pouring. The weather is so nice that I was feeling very lazy and sleepy all day. I sat on the back porch while sipping hot coffee after lunch while watching and listening to the heavy rains pouring down.  The temperature wasn't that cold, but I felt more comfortable with socks on.

How about you? How was the weather in your area today?

The Perfect Tiny Kitchen Renovations

Not every home, apartment or condo comes with a dreamy country kitchen. Are you frustrated by the lack of space in your tiny kitchen? There are some renovations you can have done that will open up the usable space and make you feel less claustrophobic when it is time to prepare a meal.

Take Out a Wall

This may seem like a drastic step, but it can really open up the space and make you breathe a little easier. You need a professional to do this so that a load bearing wall is not removed accidentally. 

Use a Mobile Island

If you seriously lack counter space for preparing food you can always invest in a small mobile kitchen island. They are on wheels and can be moved anywhere in the room, or even tucked in a closet when not being used. 

Smaller Appliances and Appliance Placement

You may need to scale down from full size appliances and opt for smaller, well-designed units. Under the cupboard mounted coffee pots, can openers and other small 
appliances can save you tons of space on the counters. Incorporating shelving designs to hold small appliances can be useful as well.

Lighting, Flooring and Glass

Subdued and multi-directional lighting can help soften the look of a small space. Quality flooring can also help open up a tiny kitchen visually. Exchange standard cupboard doors with glass front. It will make the room seem much larger than it is.

Color Your World

The right mix of colors can completely transform a small kitchen. Darker backdrop colors against white cabinets will give the room more depth. You can experiment with a variety of color swatches and see which you like the best. 

Limit Kitchen Activity

If the space is small it makes no sense to have folded laundry, homework or mail sitting on limited counter space. Trim it down to food preparation activity and items only and you will be pleasantly surprised at how much bigger the space seems.

It is time to get a hold of a quality home improvement expert that will know how to renovate your tiny kitchen to give you the added space you need. Contact professionals like remodelingcontractor.com for a free no-obligation quote right now!

Mulches Help Keep The Moisture In The Soil

Months after my husband pulled out the old bushes by the front porch, finally, we planted new bushes.  It's long overdue, I know.  But here it is.  My dear husband and I did a lot of yard work today.  I don't usually brag about accomplishments and stuff but it's a productive Sunday for us here in the Sefcik household.  I am just super happy that we were able to get our gardening going again this year including the front porch's flower beds.  New bushes in the row that will take years to grow into hedges.  But that's alright. The house is now happy that we came to our senses to beautify our home again.  

We bought the new bushes from Home Depot using the Visa gift card my dear husband claimed from the rewards he got from buying paints a month ago - also from Home Depot.  We bought a few Boxwood Holly and a Sky Pencil Japanese Holly to replace the Wax Myrtle that's previously planted in the corner where the water hose is.  Then we topped the flowerbeds with red mulch that according to my hubby will keep the moisture in the soil so the plants won't dry out in the summer heat.

I know it's quite silly but I had to pick the red mulch so it matches the red bricks of the house.  Target for this project is to complete the planting of flowering plants before the fourth of July comes.  It would be nice to have a newly planted flower beds when the holiday comes.

5 Everyday Uses for Casters

Everything is better on wheels, but that doesn't mean everything is practical on wheels, especially if you're budget-minded or not that handy with a wrench. If you're looking for easy-to-use, easy-to-apply caster ideas, here are just a few suitable for any home or office.

1. Toolboxes

Small toolboxes are usually carried by hand, but what if you own something larger? What if your toolbox is too big or too heavy to be hauled? Think about adding a set of wheels. Not only will it increase your mobility around the garage, but it'll also prevent falls, drops and tools scattering everywhere.

2. Chairs

All chairs should come with wheels. For one, it prevents damage to your floor by distributing your weight across circular planes rather than four fixed points; even more importantly, it's more ergonomic for your back, neck and shoulders if you can move around freely. If you haven't already, add casters on your chairs. You won't regret it.

3. Desks

Once you've put wheels on your chairs, it's time to up your game and put them on your desks, too. It's a great way to mobilize your home office or study room. It also allows you to enjoy the sunrise from your window without suffering the glare on your computer screen at high noon; simply move your desk to another angle to avoid it.

4. Entertainment Centers

It's great that you've got your televisions and video game consoles set up just the way you like them, but what happens if you need to move them? Putting your entertainment center on a wheeled cart will keep everything mobile and ready to go without forcing you to unhook, unplug and untangle dozens of cords first.

5. Laundry Baskets

Are you tired of pulling muscles in your back by hauling wet clothes around? Put your laundry basket on wheels. You can simply roll your laundry wherever it needs to go, and what's more, you can transport more loads at once when you're not worried about the weight or size limits of what you can carry at one time. You'll get your laundry done twice as fast as normal!

These are just a few simple ways to use furniture casters. Don't let this list hinder your imagination, however; the sky is the limit, so feel free to experiment with wheels to your heart's content.

Have Fun And Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween! :) 

Spooky or silly, be safe and have fun this Halloween.

Dim Lighting For The Bedrooms

Tiffany lamp.

I bought this Tiffany multi-colored floral table lamp from an online garage sale last year for $12.  It is 12 inches high and the shade is 6 1/2 wide.  The metal base is quite heavy and the shade is very solid. It looks really neat in my guestroom for dim lighting. 'Looks cute, too.

If you want dim lighting in your bedrooms, you might want to consider buying a Tiffany lamp.

Comfortable Footwear At Home

My pair of Nike Comfort Thong Sandals

I love lazy Sundays.  I just like to be in my lounge wear and I also love wearing my Nike Slip-ons with memory foam and comfort footbed.  They're very comfortable and my feet feels relaxed.  I am on my feet most of the time because I play with my child and do household chores, too.  My feet feels cold easily especially when I am on barefoot.  That is why I always wear house slippers.  

I bought this pair for $12 from Kohls I think two years ago.  I think the retail price now ranges from $24-$30 a pair.

Wordless Wednesday: I Wanted A Mimosa Tree In My Yard

Cheap Product Reduces Static Cling

I am very fascinated with this anti-static sheets right now.  Besides the laundry detergent, Cuddle Soft is now my laundry buddy.  

I am so happy I found this at Walmart. So I gave it a try because I am so tired of dealing with statics and zaps whenever I pull out dried clothes from the dryer.  It was not long ago that I found this product. And I am proud to say that it works wonders in drying the clothes.

Anti-static sheets

Drying clothes with Cuddle Soft sheets.

It reduces static cling and I don't have to deal with zaps.  Oh how wonderful.  I wish I found it a long time ago. :)  By the way, Cuddle Soft is $.97 at Walmart.

Lazy Rainy Sunday Morning

Front yard.

We love lazy Sundays.  It was a rainy morning yesterday and quiet, too.  I woke up at around eight o'clock.  My husband was awake and already made coffee.  He was sitting in front of his computer working on the book he is writing for his side project.  Our daughter still sound asleep on the air mattress bed we bought from Academy few weeks ago.

I grabbed a cup of coffee and went to the garage.  We have a radio/cd player in the garage.  I turned it on and listened to Jack FM station.  It was kind of oldies music day for me. New Wave and 80's music.  Brought lots memories.  Good ones.

Stargazer Lily plants.

And when the rain stopped, I planted the Stargazer Lilies my friend R gave me the other day.  I hope they will grow nicely and gives beautiful orange blooms next year.

Weekend Snapshots: New Vacuum Cleaner Hoover Windtunnel

Yay! Our new vacuum cleaner has arrived.  I bought a Hoover Windtunnel Bagless Vacuum Cleaner to replace our 10-year-old Bissell one.  It has served us good long years but it was time to upgrade.

Hoover Windtunnel Bagless Vacuum cleaner

I was very excited about this new vacuum cleaner.  Even my darling daughter kept asking me when will it arrive so she can help me vacuum the carpets.  Hahaha!  Sweet girl.  Anyway, I bought this Hoover Windtunnel at Walmart.com.  I was scouting for good deals and great reviews about vacuum cleaners and this one has 4.5 rating at Walmart online and featured as the Best Seller.  From $149 price, it rolled back to $99.  I used my birthday cash to buy it.

Automatic Cord Rewind. I love!

Dirt gathered from first use.  In the master bedroom carpet.

System Check Indicator

I hope this vacuum will last more than 10 years.

Today's Lunch Is Pork Stew with Long Beans Over Rice

Pork stew with long beans.

Our lunch today is Pork Stew with Long Beans over rice.

One Of These Vacuum Cleaners Is On My Wishlist

Bissell Bagless Pet Vacuum

Hoover Windtunnel vacuum cleaner

*Images from Walmart.com