A key component to health and fitness is to simply get people off of the sofa. Even better, spending time in nature is conducive to achieving greater levels of fitness. So get outside, get active, and enjoy all that the green space surrounding your home has to offer.While spending time outdoors, it makes sense to eat there as well. You can prepare delicious and nutritious outdoor meals by using a fire pit. The pit allows you to cook healthful foods such as grilled meats and vegetables. And you can use either wood or charcoal with your pit, offering the flexibility of various cooking options.So, when you’re revamping your eating habits, why not throw in a few pit cooked recipes each week? Grill some chicken over the pit and arrange it over fresh greens for a delicious salad. If you wish to branch out from the grilling aspect of the pit, try traditional campfire foil packets. Take your meat of choice along with plenty of vegetables and place in a double layer of foil. Fold the foil to form a packet and crimp the edges securely. Place your foil packet upon the hot coals of your pit and toss a few coals on top of the packet. In less than a half hour, you should have a tasty, pit-cooked meal.Another healthy pit-cooking option is a play on the old campfire tradition of roasting wieners. Unfortunately, we no know that the wiener is not the healthiest of fare. But you don’t have to give up the roasting just because you forgo hot dogs. Try skewering veggies on a long stick, and roast the veggies. You can even add chicken or beef to this shish kabob for a heartier meal.Even if you’re on a diet, you can still enjoy a sweet, pit-cooked treat to end your meal. Try grilling a banana or some pineapple over the grill. Top the grilled fruit with a touch of honey-sweetened yogurt. Or on a cold night, warm some cider in a campfire pot for a deliciously toasty drink.With such tasty food coming forth from your fire pit, it will be easier than ever to reject fast food and other diet destroyers. Instead, enjoy time in nature, and savor the healthy taste of pit-cooked meals.
Let’s take a look at Personal Property as it compares to Real Property. This is a topic that comes up a lot when a real estate transaction gets difficult and the two parties (buyer and seller) begin to argue over what stays in the house and what doesn’t according to the contract and law.Personal property is defined as all property that can be owned and does not fit the definition of real property. In other words, if it is not real property then it is personal property. An important distinction between the two is that personal property is movable. Personal property is also referred to as chattels. For those of you who like to work on expanding your vocabulary.Next let’s look at some examples of personal property including manufactured housing, plants, crops, and classifications of fixtures.Manufactured Housing is defined as dwellings that are not constructed at the home site. These are normally trucked in and placed on the property. For those of you breaking down the word manufactured, and wondering why all homes aren’t considered manufactured, since they are after all “manufactured” think of mobile homes as manufactured. Here’s the tricky part, if the manufactured home has been attached to the property then it is REAL property, if it is just sitting there and hooked up to utilities then it is PERSONAL property. Why would it matter? well, if it is REAL property, then the property taxes are higher because the government sees the homes as essentially adding value to the land it sits on.Plants and Crops: There are two categories here and both have their differences. Trees, perennials, shrubbery and grass that do not require annual cultivation are considered real property or real estate. And these transfer with the sale of the property. Crops on the other hand that are harvested on an annual basis, are considered emblements. Or personal property and in the sale of the property, the crops that are being produced stay with the seller for that current harvest.Here are some additional details… if an item on the land, lets say a tree (which is real property) is cut down and separated from the land (called severance), then it becomes personal property. It is also possible to do the same thing but the other way. If the tree that was cut down is used to build a home on the property, through annexation, it become real property.Fixtures – these are often the hot topic in the sale of a home because sellers often take their fixtures with them when they move, and that is against the agreement set out by the contract. Knowing what a fixture is, will help you understand what to expect stay with the home and what does not. A fixture is personal property that has been affixed (attached) to the land or building and it becomes real property. Remember real property stays with the home when it is sold.How do you test if an item is a fixture or personal property? Here are the three basic tests the court will use to decide.1. Method of Annexation – how permanent is the method of attachment? Can the item be removed without damaging the surrounding property?2. Adaptation to Real Estate – Is the item being used as real property or personal property? For example a fridge is normally considered personal property because it can be removed easily. However if the refrigerator has been adapted to match the kitchen cabinetry, it become a fixture.3. Agreement – Have the parties agreed on whether the item is real or personal in a purchase offer.The overall rule is to determine, what is the purpose of the fixture? Is it’s function to be personal property or a real property.Trade Fixtures are the exception to the rule. A trade fixture is property used in the course of business. Often it will be attached to the property and resemble real property. However, if it is something used as part of the seller’s trade, it is considered personal property and does not stay with the home.Often home buyers will be looking at homes and what draws them to the home will be certain aspects of the home. Fixtures such as entertainment centers, backyard gazebos and surround sound speakers are often considered fixtures and real property that will stay with the home. However a home owner may consider those items of great value and may be planning on taking them to their new home. It is very important to identify what fixtures you want and expect to stay in the home and put those items in the purchase agreement so everyone will be on the same page and in agreement from early on.
Many people are now turning to the Internet to make money. Some work online part-time in addition to their full-time jobs for some extra cash, whereas others rely solely on working online for 100 percent of their income. It is entirely up to the individual person to decide how much he or she wants to work. With new job opportunities popping up every day, there has never been a better time to make money online by working from home. All that is needed is a computer and an Internet connection, the exact same requirements for reading this article.The Perks of Online WorkThere are many reasons for deciding to work online. It does not need to be a last resort for unemployed persons looking for a job. In fact, working online can be beneficial to everyone, including those that already have a full-time income. The greatest perk to working online is the ability to choose the amount of hours worked per day. There are no start times or end times. As long as the work is completed, a person can choose to work early in the morning or in the middle of the night. Also, another huge bonus is the fact that this work can be done at home, so there is no need to ever drive to work and put up with a potentially awful commute and rising gas prices.Part-Time Online JobsFor those looking to supplement their already existing income with online work, there are many ways to go about this. Some websites offer cash simply for taking surveys. Others give money and/or free stuff for browsing the web, shopping online or playing games in order to anonymously collect data. Be very careful with websites and advertisements claiming that you will make lots of money easily online. Most, if not all, of them are get rich quick scams specifically worded to lure you into paying for information that is already available for free online or just downright false. The most important thing to remember is that you will never need to pay anything to make money online.Full-Time Online JobsFor those who have decided to fully commit to working from home, there are many factors to keep in mind. Firstly, as with any other job, working online requires a lot of work to make a full-time income. It may be tempting to only work for an hour or two and spend the rest of the day browsing the Internet. Discipline is a key asset. In order to make a living online, it needs to be treated like a full-time job. Secondly, do not expect to start making a lot of money right away. Patience and perseverance are also necessary elements to have.That being said, there are many opportunities available. Writers will find an abundance of work writing for websites, some of which pays quite well once a certain level is reached. Graphic designers are also in high demand. For those not interested in either of those two, there are still many jobs available in almost every field. The best approach is to find forums or job boards that focus on the desired job. There will be many useful tips and links to get started. Just don’t give up. Starting out may be slow, but with experience, finding jobs will become much easier and quicker.
Whether you’re in the market for a major interior overhaul or you’re simply looking to give your home a quick and easy update, chances are you’ve spent some time online hunting for ideas and inspiration. That said, it can be pretty deflating to stumble upon a look you love only to discover the price to achieve it is well above your budget.
Fortunately, there are some killer home decorating blogs that show you how to refresh, revive, and fall in love with your home anew without breaking the bank. For a home that looks far more expensive than it costs to create, check out the following blogs for all of the interior inspiration and DIY tutorials you’ll ever need.
Welcome back to the week 5 update for the One Room Challenge. Check out the blog posts and updates for week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4 if you missed them. It’s crunch time now and I’ll be honest… I don’t know that this project will be completely wrapped up for the reveal date. The great thing is the reveal and hitting a deadline is not the only goal of reason for this challenge. Ultimately having a fully functional and hopefully beautiful bathroom is where we want to end up even it things are a bit delayed.
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.
When we left off last time the countertops had been templated, the trim was freshly painted and the hardware had been ordered. The hardware took about 1 week to arrive. We chose the Menlo Park 4″ pull from Schlub in chrome because I think the pull has the perfect mix of square and some rounded elements that make it a great transitional hardware option. We went with all pulls for the drawers and doors since the knob option in that line weren’t our favorite.
Guest Bathroom Reno: Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5
The quartz countertops are now installed and things can be put back together. Rectangle, undercount sinks were also purchased through the fabricator. The Marble look quartz from Pental and it is gorgeous with the warm gray veins running throughout. For the edge went for a flat polish eased edge for a clean, simple look.
Guest Bathroom Reno: Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5
Two days after the quartz countertops were installed the tile installer came back to finish up tiling the niches, installing the tile base and grout everything.
Guest Bathroom Reno: Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5
The electoral is being relocated for the new lights. There are some drywall and painting touch ups to do and plumbing fixtures to be hooked up. Plus adding all the finishing touches ???? All those little things like towel hooks, curtain rod, and accessories will bring this whole thing together.
It’s been too long since I’ve updated and even longer since this work has been started. This is me sharing remodel updates, mostly for myself (but also for my nagging family members). I’m sharing photos of the progress that has been made while also document the craziness that has gone on. This is just the beginning of the remodel.
Prior to moving in I had 3-4 weeks where my apartment lease overlapped with the possession of my townhome. This allowed me, with the amazing help of my family, to paint, tear-out carpet and somewhat put back together the upstairs portion of my place so that I could have a clean room to put a bed. At least one that wasn’t completely torn apart. One area that felt more livable that the rest. If you haven’t seen or don’t remember these are the before photos from when I took possession. To list it out here are the main things that I was tacking during those week prior to me moving in.
Phase 1 Remodel Projects
ripping out baseboard, carpet and tack strips upstairs and preparing for new hard surface flooring. (this flooring will go throughout minus the stairs and bathrooms/laundry)
installing flooring upstairs (one of my installers did this)
mostly gutting the master bathroom
installing a new tub and rough in plumbing for the master and powder bath
ordering and installing a rift white oak vanity for the master
Painting (and priming where needed) the ceilings and walls of the bedrooms. Caulking and painting the crown molding in the master
replacing and upgrading the baseboard heater in the master and patch the drywall
painting the hallway and down through the stairwell
adding skirt board to the stairs
installing new carpet and pad on the stairs (my carpet installer from work did this)
removing upper cabinets on the fridge side in the kitchen
partially demoing the wall diving the kitchen (prepare to move switches, outlets, heater and thermostat)
removing drywall on wall next to bar in dining area
painting the downstairs powder bath and removing vanity to prepare for a new floating vanity
Those were the main projects that took place and then I moved in the day after Thanksgiving. Getting rid of the original, nasty cat carpet and new flooring made a huge difference to the upstairs. Also neutralizing and lightening the paint made things feel so much more fresh. I still have no baseboards but I’ll get on that one day! For now here are some photos that I snapped along the way.
It’s been a while since been posting on here but I have some new updates and projects that I have been working on. Last summer into fall I was house hunting while knowing the lease on my apartment would be expiring end of the 2019. It felt a little crazy but was a fun process for me. After a bunch of searching I found and closed on a new home!
I was lucky enough to have a few weeks of overlap with my apartment (I ended up moving out 1 month early) so I was able to get started on projects and updates prior to moving in. I’ll share more about those in the coming weeks (there are still so many unfinished things!) but for now I think it’s best to start with some before photos. Also, follow along on Instagram where I post current project updates more often. The pictures show it in the state I bought it in. It’s a great first place to me and was functional as-is but as you might expect I’m here to make things my own by doing updates that I will enjoy while living here and that will also add value and functionality to the space down the line when I sell… or maybe even keep it as a rental. My dog, Nova, has been enjoying the space as well ???? There are a couple of things to miss about my Bothell apartment but I am very ready to have my own place and space.
In 2017 the guest bathroom was remodeled. You can see more photos and read about that here. Almost everything came out and all new things went back in. From emails and comments people have been asking for sources so I have rounded up what I could in this post to share paint colors, products and links that I could find for the bathroom.
Bathroom Sources and Details:
Wall color: BM Balboa Mist
Trim and door color: BM Chantilly Lace
Floor Tile: Pental Mark Chrome 12×24 matte
Shower tile: Jeffrey Court Weather Gray 4×12 gloss subway
Niche tile: Daltile clio mosaic
Bathtub: Maax Rubix tub
Cabinet: Spencer Cabinets – painted BM Cape May Cobblestone
Countertop: Pental Quartz Misterio polished 3cm
Cabinet hardware: Schaub Menlo Park Pull in chrome
Faucets: Hansgrohe Metris single handle in chrome
Shower trims: Kohler slide bar kit, wall mount supply and Hansgrohe tub spout in chrome
Mirrors: Homegoods
Towel Hooks: Delta Tolva robe hook in chrome