Projects

There's nothing like a helpful husband around for the summer when it comes to getting all those around-the-house projects done.  It's so satisfying that I had to include some examples here of things we've done so far this summer.

Here is our clean dishwasher!  This is the "after" picture, and I don't have a "before" picture... but really, I would have been embarrassed to post that sort of disgustingness here.  So, this may look like an ordinary dishwasher to you, but to me it looks pristinely perfect.  My amazing helpful husband saw this item on my to-do list and volunteered for the job.  I'm pretty glad he did it, because in M's typical thorough fashion, he googled "how to clean a dishwasher" before starting.  After reading all about it, he not only cleaned away the mess, but was also able to take everything apart and discovered a couple blockages in the system that were causing all of that nasty mildew buildup.  So... hopefully we won't have to do that job again for a while.  And I won't have to worry about gross yuck on our dishes.

Here is our freshly weeded flower bed!  Again, I don't have a before picture, but suffice it to say that we dumped two full wheelbarrows of weeds into the woods when we were finished.  How satisfying is that?  The girls were taking an extra long nap one afternoon after a tiring morning at the pool, so M and I teamed up and finished the job (well, I should say M worked hard with a rake pulling up all the lily of the valley root systems, and I sat my pregnant butt down on a towel in the middle of the bed and pulled up crab grass).  So now we'll have room to put in some bulbs for next spring, or perhaps some more mums (See how our mum from last year came back!!  I think this is one of the first things I've planted that hasn't died.  I know they're "hardy mums"... but still.  Perhaps I have hope of developing a green thumb after all.)

Yes, these are small things, but sometimes it's the small things that can make you the most happy, right?

Here's my next project:

Our arts-and-crafts bin (lower shelf) has overflowed onto the top of the file cabinet and the shelves above it.  M recently organized our tupperware, but I always have this nagging feeling that there is a better system/location for this yet to be found in our house.

Maybe I'll have another nice "after" picture for you soon!