Check That Off

Busy does not even begin to describe our weekend or the past few weeks. Since I made my Before Lukas Arrives “To Do List” on July 13th, we have knocked quite a few tasks off the list. The house has changed in some dramatic ways and I can’t wait to share the final pictures with you, but unfortunately every room is still in some state of chaos, so we’re not quite ready for pictures. Here’s an update:

1. Organize/clean back part of basement (probably should put up blinds or some window covering); move tools, bikes, golf clubs, stroller, Christmas decorations, odds and ends/childhood memento boxes, sporting equipment, etc. out to this area so that we can “finish” the big part of the basement. – DONE (almost completely). We painted the room, laid the vinyl tiles, added a storage unit, put up four of the six blinds, moved all the sporting equipment, beach chairs, work shoes, paint and other odds and ends that needed new homes to this space. The only thing left is to hang the remaining two blinds and continue organizing and moving in additional items for storage.

2. Replace 2 blinds (killed by Ms. Wrigley and her accomplice Lydia) over basement windows - DONE

3. Clean/organize basement bathroom & take clothes to Goodwill – HALF DONE. The clothes have been bagged and are ready to be taken to Goodwill and the contents of the bathroom have been moved, but the bathroom is now filled with new stuff that doesn’t belong (paint supplies and baby stuff…).

4. Temporarily carpet the basement – need to price carpet tiles. DONE!!! As it would turn out, carpet tiles are more expensive than carpet, so we changed directions.  Rather than go for a temporary fix, I found a great deal on carpet at the Carpet Depot in Decatur, bought it yesterday and had the carpet installed the same day! This room looks AMAZING now and has been transformed into actual livable space. I have a feeling it will become Mr. Cob’s very own Man Cave.

5. Move all the existing furniture from the nursery to the basement.  On this weeks after work TO-DO list.

6. Clean out closet in Lukas’ room and find new homes for its inhabitants – 3/4th complete. I have compiled all of Mr. Cob’s childhood mementos into new storage bins and found new homes for almost everything else in this closet. I still need to move all our winter coats and some other random items.

7. Have door taken out and drywalled. –Hopefully will be completed in the next month (our go-to house guy has been working on a big project and we’re on hold until he completes that project).

8. Steam-vac carpet in Lukas’ room or re-carpet – need to price carpet. Leaning towards just steam-vac-ing the carpet.

9. Have built ins bookshelves built. Waiting on our house guy.

10. Pick out bedding for Lukas’ room. DONE!!! After endless weeks of wavering and indecision I finally settled on bedding today. We went with a sports theme – details to come later!

11. Paint Lukas’ room. On the agenda the weekend after next.

12. Buy crib mattress (organic mattress from Costco) (can maybe order online)

13. Put together crib for Lukas.

14. Remove current contents of dresser, desk and end table from guest room and find new homes. Half done. I removed all the contents of the dresser and filled it back up with newborn to three month clothes for Lukas thanks to my sister-in-law and cousin who have given me more baby boy clothes than I could have dreamed! I still need to clean the desk draws and end table.

15. Move dresser, desk and end table into nursery.

16. Wash Lukas’ clothes (I have hand-me-downs from Lukas' cousin Stu - lots of clothes!) – STILL NEED TO DO.; Box up clothes 9 mos. and up and store; hang or put away rest of clothes in Lukas’ dresser and closet DONE! I have two 16 gallon storage bins full of 6 month + clothes!

17. Pick up the "new" furniture for guest room.

18. Grandma Sip Sip to recover glider and make window treatments.

Hopefully my new energy streak will continue and we'll continue checking things off our list.  And I promise to share pictures as soon as one of the rooms is complete!