Buffet Re-do

I mentioned on Monday that I was waxing a piece of furniture in order to sell it.

I bought this buffet a few years ago, intending to use it our master bath, but it's been sitting in our living room for the last 3 or 4 years now and it'll be a bit still before we get around to doing the bathroom. In the meantime, I've realized it's too tall to use as a vanity and there's no way to cut down the legs to make it shorter.

So I decided to paint it, then sell it, and figure out something else for the bathroom vanity. I forgot to take a picture before I'd started scuffing up the finish to accept the paint, so the one above is as good as it gets. The center door came off months ago (with help from the boys), so fixing it was on the list as well, after everything was painted.

I painted it with gray chalk paint leftover from this project, then used some glaze to make all the great details really pop. After that, I waxed it using leftover wax.

left: no glaze; right: glaze

I listed in on a local Facebook group and Craigslist, and it sold the very next day, for twice what I originally paid for it. Since I used leftover paint and wax and only bought the glaze, my expenses were pretty minimal. The screws to fix that middle door came out of our stash in the shed.

This isn't the first buffet I've refinished, though it was certainly easier than the last one. You can read about that old buffet I here. That buffet I kept though, and is still in our bedroom, where Mr M and I use it as a dresser.

one of the drawers has this great little tray in it

I also sold the school cupboard after listing it on a Facebook group and Craigslist. We're slowly consolidating, reorganizing, and getting rid of stuff, which means we don't need this cupboard any more. It's not one I want to store when we move, and I want the wall space for a desk that's been living in the library, so it was time to sell it. And let's be realistic, it really ended up attracting piles of Sunshine's school papers that she shoved in any which way. We moved all the school stuff to the bottom of the basement stairs and there's not room for her to be haphazardly piling things up. Sounds like a win to me :)

I removed the fold-out table awhile ago, so it's just the cupboard, but the adjustable shelves will give the new owners tons of flexibility with how they use it. You can read about how I built the cupboard here, and how I finished it here.

This also sold right away, though it's still waiting to be picked up since the buyers had to find a truck to bring it home since it's so large. They left a nice deposit, otherwise I wouldn't have held it for them :) people who buy stuff on Craigslist can be too flaky.

Weekly Mileage #74 and the 4 Mile Race

Monday I finally finished the leather practice books for Sunshine and River. I love how they turned out, and now just need to do a few more samples to take pictures of, then I can list them on Etsy. I'll do a post just about them soon. In the meantime, here's some pictures.

Wednesday Mr M took Sunshine and River to Busch Gardens (free tickets for military!). They only allow three dependent tickets, but rather than pay for the fourth we'd need, I stayed home with Ocean and got a good amount of much-needed work done. And Ocean took a nice long afternoon nap.

I was dragging on Thursday am and really not feeling up to my scheduled 12 mile long run on the treadmill. I decided to just do 5 or 6 miles, but once I hit the 3 mile mark I was feeling pretty good, so I kept going and even did a bit more than my scheduled 12 miles- 13.2 total. I only ran 8 of those miles, but considering how I felt going into it, I'm very pleased with how much I managed. This was my last long run before the half marathon in just under two weeks, so I'm glad I was able to get the miles in.

Friday I intended to ride my bike for 5 miles to loosen things up, but I never quite managed it. We were up early so the RV could get picked up for its last rental, and after Thursday's workout I was still tired. I'd also thought about going on a hike, but that didn't happen either.

Saturday I ran the 4 mile race I've run the last 3 years. I really like the course- rolling hills past farm fields and cow pastures. I only walked half a mile total, but my legs were still tired from Thursday, so despite running most of the race, my speed was not what it could have been. 46:24 this year, which is faster than last year, but slower than the year before. I couldn't really help the timing of that long workout though, and it's not a bad thing to run on tired legs. Unless you're hoping for a PR.

C and I at the starting line

We had a lot to do on Saturday, and I'm proud of myself for keeping moving and getting most of the list checked off. We did some much-needed deep cleaning, tidied and decluttered, and moved some furniture around. We have a couple pieces I'm planning on selling, but I needed to do the wax coat on the one I painted and I needed to clear out and wipe down the other piece. I'll do a post about those later, though, so no pics yet.

One reason I was able to keep going, despite tired, sore feet? This Foot Rubz ball I just got on Amazon. Those little nubs get into all the nooks and crannies around the tendons and make everything feel so much better. Still sore, but not nearly as sore as I was before I started using it. My plantar fasciitis was not screaming at me, despite all the time I've spent on my feet lately, so that's a huge win. Good thing they're cheap, since I might have to order another one. The boys keep trying to steal it to play with, and I have the feeling that one day they will co-opt it permanently, and I'd better be prepared.

Weekly Mileage
Tuesday- 10.00 miles on the bike
Wednesday- 4.00 miles on the treadmill
Thursday- 13.20 miles on the treadmill
Saturday- 4.22 miles during and after the race
    total- 31.42 miles

18 hikes towards #52hikechallenge
2.14 kayak miles towards #365milechallenge

233.30 foot miles towards #365milechallenge
245.00 bike miles towards #365milechallenge
480.44 miles total

Sunday Funny

blowing spit bubbles on a recent hike

When Ocean wants something, he doesn't just say that he wants something.

"I needwant some canny!"

For those not versed in Ocean-speak, he wants some candy, but thinks he needs it :)

Weekly Mileage #73 and the Three Year Checkup

Last week was busy, as the next couple of months promise to be. Figuring out what needs to be done when is something I've got to buckle down on.

Tuesday evening my friend C and I went for a run. It was a bit hot and humid, but it felt good. It felt good to run outside after so much time on the treadmill, and it felt good to run with a friend.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I was really tired and dragging, with some depression mixed in on Saturday. I'm not sure where it all came from, other than stress, though possibly another bug from Ocean. He's been feeling off lately.

He had his three year checkup Thursday morning, and is doing pretty well. One ear has some fluid behind the ear drum, but other than that his ears looked good. It's been awhile since his last hearing test, so we've got a hearing test scheduled for a couple weeks from now (after the fluid has hopefully cleared up). The pediatrician also recommended he get his speech evaluated. She wasn't impressed with his speech, which is funny, since we think he speaks pretty well. Though that is in comparison to River, who didn't really start talking until a week or so after he turned three. I don't necessarily agree with her assessment, but with his ear issues I do think it's worth it to get him evaluated to make sure there's no issues.

~~~~~~~

I spent hours Thursday afternoon trying to get my cell service changed from one company to another. I couldn't access the info I needed online because the double authentication system only sent the code to Mr M's phone (he's the account owner), and he was at work, with no access to his phone.

I couldn't access the info by calling in or chatting online, because the answer to the security question had been misspelled by the customer service person who typed it in originally years ago (we discovered this once Mr M got home and we finally had access to our account). I kept getting transferred from one person to another, each of whom assured me they could help, only they couldn't. SO incredibly frustrating.

We're trying out having two different cell carriers to see which gives better coverage when we travel. The timing was right because my phone had broken and I didn't have a contract to worry about, so I have the freedom to try new things. So far, I'm happy, but it's early days.

~~~~~~~~

We went for a hike Friday morning, but it was not our most successful outing ever. We had to skip the side trail to the river because Ocean was being such a pill and I didn't have the energy to deal with him. It was just too hot and humid to deal with recalcitrant three year olds. At least we got out and got some exercise.

~~~~~~~~

Saturday Mr M discovered a hole in the roof of the RV. This happened to our trailer too. From what we can tell, both times a branch fell in a storm and punctured the roof. We're in the process of doing the site work for a carport, but it's not up yet, unfortunately. The insurance adjuster will be out soon to check it out, and hopefully they'll cover it (different insurance company this time around, the first company covered the trailer repairs, but they almost didn't).

A month or so ago we’d decided to try to sell the RV this fall, before end of the year if possible, to avoid paying taxes on it next year. Not sure if the timing will work out for that to happen, but we'll see. We'd originally planned on keeping the RV at least another year, but if we can swing it, we want to see if we can get all the ducks lined up so that we can get our Airstream before family reunion time next summer. We're not sure if that will happen, though, since there's a specific floorplan we want (as is always the case with us), and there's not a lot of them available. Buying sooner rather than later will give us more time to see what we do and don't like and to do any necessary modifications without a tight deadline.

We won't be bringing an Airstream onto our property without a carport to protect it, though. If a branch didn't fall on it, the acorns would most definitely damage it (our cars all have hail damage from falling acorns). So getting the carport up is the first of several ducks that we have to get in order.

~~~~~~~~

I was supposed to run 11 miles on Saturday, but just didn't have the physical or mental energy for it. I walked 5 instead. I felt a little better, but I really had to work all day to keep moving and get stuff done. 

I've been feeling stressed about all the tasks I need to accomplish, so I sat down and tried to prioritize what I should focus on first, second, third, etc. My focus is those tasks that will be most profitable for my businesses. I'm trying to work smarter, not harder.

I did manage to say no to teaching the Cub Scout training class I taught last fall. I was asked to teach again this fall, but I just have too much going on the next couple months. It’s extra stress I don’t need right now. My current stress levels are an indication of that.

Weekly Mileage
Monday- 3.00 miles on the treadmill
Tuesday- 4.33 miles run outside
Wednesday- 10.00 miles on the bike
Friday- 1.50 mile hike
Saturday- 5.05 miles on the treadmill
    total- 22.88 miles

18 hikes towards #52hikechallenge
2.14 kayak miles towards #365milechallenge

211.88 foot miles towards #365milechallenge
235.00 bike miles towards #365milechallenge
449.02 miles total

Sunday Funny

We've found trail markers on several of our hikes recently, which is a new experience since our usual parks don't have regular markers. I've taken advantage of their presence and taught the boys how to look for the next marker and what to do if you lose the trail.

On our recent trip to Ohio, Ocean realized there were markers on the roads. He started yelling "Trail marker! Trail marker!" every time he saw a road sign. A little repetitive, but observant of him :)

Weekly Mileage #72 and the Temple Trip

Mr M and Sunshine were sick last Sunday, and Monday I had the bug. It was annoying to be sick again after several months of not getting sick, but it only lasted 24 hours, so there’s that at least.

This past week the weather cooperated enough for us to go on two hikes. We went to Montpelier (James Madison’s home) and Ash Lawn-Highland (James Monroe’s home) to explore the trails they have established around the houses and grounds. It was hot and disgustingly humid, which made the hikes a lot less enjoyable than they might have been. The trails we did at Montpelier were in the blazing sun, but we found a trail through the woods at Ash Lawn that was much nicer.

trail through a field at Montpelier

trail through the woods at Ash Lawn 

Thursday I did my long run on the treadmill again. I ran 8 out of the 10 scheduled miles, and added a half mile warm up and cool down for 11 miles total. It was tiring, but it felt good. It felt good to run that much, especially since my long runs are still the only running I’ve been able to.

caught this cool view in the rear view mirror

Friday morning we loaded up into the RV and drove to Columbus, Ohio to attend the temple there. We’re in the Washington DC temple district, but it’s closed for a couple years for renovations. The Raleigh NC temple is also closed for renovations due to a mold issue. We could go to the Philadelphia temple, but there’s no parking for the RV at the temple. The temple is smack dab in the middle of the city, and the only parking is in a parking garage. We could park elsewhere, but we’d have to tow the car so we could drive to the temple. The Columbus temple has plenty of parking and we were able to park in the parking lot while doing sessions, and spent the night in the parking lot of the Cracker Barrel down the road. No extra vehicle needed.

This was Sunshine’s first time going to the temple- she turned 12 a few months ago, but not soon enough to make the last youth trip to the DC temple before it closed.  She had a good experience (as did Mr M and I), and now we need to schedule our next trip. We may go to Philadelphia after all, though, just because it’s several hours closer and we don’t really enjoy marathon driving stints. They’re tiring for everyone involved.

Ocean was ready to smile, but River was a little less cooperative

It rained hard all night and all morning, though it let up for a few minutes, so I took the boys to touch the temple. In the time it took to walk from the RV to the temple, take a few pictures, and walk back to the RV, it started raining again. This little (I assume, but we never saw it lower) stream next to the parking lot was running high and fast from all the rain.

Weekly Mileage

Tuesday- 2.00 miles hiked at Montpelier

Wednesday- 2.21 miles hiked at Ash Lawn-Highland

Thursday- 11.02 miles run and walked on the treadmill

      total- 15.23 miles

17 hikes towards #52hikechallenge
2.14 kayak miles towards #365milechallenge

198.00 foot miles towards #365milechallenge
225.00 bike miles towards #365milechallenge
425.14 miles total

Sunday Funny

Last Sunday, I went in to get Ocean out of bed, after sending him back to bed earlier. He'd woken up too earlier and we didn't need a tired, cranky little boy on our hands. When I went in, I found this sight: pajamas and pull-up on the floor next to a mound of blanket, but no Ocean. I could hear him snoring, and I realized he'd wrapped himself up in the blanket. If you look closely, you can see the outline of his body :)

Weekly Mileage #71 and the String Art

Last week the forecast called for lots of rain, so on Monday we started trying to go for a hike, but we never managed it because it really did rain as much as the forecast said it would. I don't mind hiking in a sprinkle or even a light rain, but we've been getting these deluges that just soak you through. They can last quite awhile, they pop up unpredictably, and you never know when they'll start. Not an ideal recipe for a successful hike with children.

I spent a good amount of time working on my other site, fixing some things I should have done from the beginning. Search engine optimization is tedious, but necessary if you want people to find you through search engines (which I do, of course....). I never worried about SEO with this blog, since I never monetized it, and I continued doing similar things when I started my new blog last year.

But I was not attracting traffic or building a following. That needed to change, so I hired a Pinterest Virtual Assistant back in June and she's been driving traffic to my site through Pinterest, which reminded me I needed to figure out the SEO thing and get things updated. I've still got a ways to go (it's tedious and time consuming to go back through each and every post, and there's more than a hundred of them), but I've also started optimizing new posts as I write them, so at least I won't have to go back and fix those as well.

I was asked to teach a class for an upcoming craft day at church, but I needed to make some samples for people to see so they'd know what they were making. I was a little hesitant about saying yes (I'm trying not to say yes to everything these days because of all the other things on my plate), but I've missed making things, so I went for it. I spent a few hours making the samples and it was quite satisfying to do something creative with my hands. I haven't made many things lately because of all the time I've been spending on the computer, working on my site, and I've missed it.

this one was a pain to do, but the others all came together pretty fast

Saturday I did my long run on the treadmill, which is not my preferred location, but was a better alternative than running outside in the heat and humidity. I was able to run 6.5 miles out of 9.5 miles, which felt good, but I'm still very low on my running mileage. On the other hand, I am getting lots of walking and biking miles, so I'm not quite as undertrained as I sometimes have been in the past.

While I was doing that, Mr M took the kiddos (and our kayaks) to a church youth activity at a local lake. Mr M was so busy trying to keep an eye on Ocean that he didn't get any pictures (I sure know what that's like), but fun was had by all.

Weekly Mileage
Monday- 3.05 miles on the treadmill
Wednesday- 6.00 miles on the treadmill
Friday- 10.00 miles on the bike
Saturday- 9.50 miles on the treadmill
    total- 28.55 miles

15 hikes towards #52hikechallenge
2.14 kayak miles towards #365milechallenge

182.77 foot miles towards #365milechallenge
225.00 bike miles towards #365milechallenge
409.91 miles total

Sunday Funny

He was perplexed because it looked like a house, but there were no doors or windows or way to get in...

Ocean has this thing where he dumps soap out of the hand soap containers and then refills them with water.

We didn't realize this was happening at first because the soap containers had clear soap in them. Then I refilled a couple of them with colored soap and realized what he was doing.

Well, that and the sink full of soap bubbles gave him away.

We're not sure where he got the idea for this, but he seems determined to waste as much soap as possible.

We now only partially fill all our soap bottles, in hopes of minimizing the waste on his end :)

July Mileage

part of our hike at George Washington Birthplace NM

I'm buckling down to my half marathon training- it's about 5 weeks away, and my higher mileage reflects those efforts. Despite the time we spent traveling, I managed to keep my mileage close to what my training plan called for, though the majority of the mileage is still walking. I'm slowly increasing my running mileage and I'm feeling pretty good. My plantar fasciitis is still an issue, but nowhere near as bad as it was last summer and I think all the walking I've done the last few months has helped.

As I mentioned on Monday, I've reached my first 365 mile goal, which was 365 miles total. My next goal is 365 miles on foot and 365 miles on the bike.

same spot, looking the other direction

July mileage:

9 treadmill workouts + 6 hikes + 8 outside run/walks + 1 race + 3 bike workouts + 1 kayak outing = 90.43 miles

52 hike challenge: 15 hikes

365 mile challenge:  215.0 bike miles + 167.27 foot miles + 2.14 kayak miles

total miles: 381.36 miles

June mileage:

4 treadmill workouts + 4 hikes + 2 outside run/walks + 1 race + 7 bike workouts + 1 kayak outing = 102.12 miles

52 hike challenge: 9 hikes

365 mile challenge:  190.0 bike miles + 102.88 foot miles + 1.1 kayak miles

total miles: 293.98 miles

May mileage:            

4 treadmill workouts + 1 hike + 1 outside walk + 4 bike workouts = 49.95 miles

52 hike challenge: 5 hikes

365 mile challenge: 120.00 bike miles + 71.86 foot miles

April mileage:

1 treadmill workout + 1 hike + 1 outside walk + 6 bike workouts = 45.31 miles

52 hike challenge: 4 hikes

365 mile challenge: 85.0 bike miles + 56.91 foot miles

March mileage:

1 treadmill workout + 2 hikes + 1 outside walk + 1 race + 4 bike workouts = 33.43 miles

52 hike challenge: 3 hikes

365 mile challenge: 45.0 bike miles + 51.60 foot miles

February mileage:

0 treadmill workouts + 1 hike + 3 outside run/walk + 1 race + 0 bike workouts = 15.56 miles

52 hike challenge: 1 hike

365 mile challenge: 25.0 bike miles + 38.17 foot miles

January mileage: 

2 treadmill workouts + 0 hikes + 4 outside run/walk + 1 race + 3 bike workouts = 47.61 miles

52 hike challenge: 0 hikes

365 mile challenge: 25.0 bike miles + 22.61 foot miles