Finally Getting My Dream Bathroom

 We started our bathroom remodel this month after years of dreaming and wishing for this day. This is just the first step on our journey to a complete home remodel. We plan to not just renovate our first floor but add an additional second floor as well. But we have to take it one step at a time so the entire process will be done in stages as funds become more readily available.

I am excited about this new house project because it's just bringing us one step closer to our dream of owning a home that we love and that fits our family's needs. 

I have so many ideas on what I want my bathroom to look like and the vibe I'm going for. I cannot wait to finally go shopping for our finishes and fixtures. Before we can get to that part, however, we have to tackle the issues at hand first. Namely, fixing the foundation and re building a couple of walls. We also have to secure everything so it's ready for a future second floor. And as you guessed it, all this takes money. A lot of money.

We were toying with the idea of getting a mortgage type loan but decided against that, going instead with a smaller credit loan. We were thankfully able to secure the funds for this project and plan to pay it off as quickly as possible. Hopefully this will give us an even bigger credit advantage to secure the funds we will need to finish off our house. I cannot wait.

Here is the beginning process on day one of the project.

We moved our oldest out of his room the night before we were to start the renovation. His room was in bad shape and had been falling apart for years. This was an add on to our home a few years after it was built and the person did a very poor job.

This will be our brand new master bathroom.

This is the back portion of our home, which had been a point of contention for me for years.  Hubby is going to have our contractor finish the area and make it into a patio with a brick oven, hopefully. We're also about to gain an extra 2 feet or so, at the back of our house which will extend both the patio and the bathroom. My excitement is immeasurable. 

These are a few ideas I have for our bathroom 

I'll finally have a linen closet 

And I'm definitely getting a shower bench as well

Tile floor idea, maybe

We found our shower wall tile and it is gorgeous. Our bathroom will be bright and airy, with a spa vibe.

I am obsessed with black faucet fixtures

And we asked our contractor for a water closet. This will be a game changer.

The toilet I plan to install in our bathroom. I love the sleek, modern design.

And finally, my ideal vanity, with the double sink. I like this particular style with the light gray color, copper fixtures and black faucet.

Cheers!!

 

 Can I just say how awesome it has been, being able to attend celebrations again. Life is trickling back to normal slowly, everyday. It is a tedious process as we take one step forward, then three steps back every week. But I am hopeful there is a light at the end of this dark tunnel and an end in sight. Cheers to that.

Let The Party Commence

 It's party planning time! Planning parties isn't the same for me, as my kids get older. There just seems to be less planning involved. The older my kids get, the easier their birthday celebrations tend to be and the simpler the party. But a party is still a party in my book no matter how much planning was involved.

First up for my second round of birthdays, is my youngest who will be 8 years old on the 29th. Of course he wanted a party and I was more than game. Since we're still in a pandemic, I knew I did not want to have his celebration at home this year since we wanted to invite friends and classmates. It just seemed safer and probably even more fun to have his party at a venue that specializes in birthday celebrations.

After a short discussion, we decided to have his pary at the Adventure X trampoline park in  the mall. Even though we've hosted his party at a trampoline park before, this will be a little different as this particular venue has a few different kid friendly activities to mix things up from just the regular jumping parties. Plus it's in the mall so afterwards, the fun can continue even when the party is over. 

I contacted the venue  selected my party package and picked my day, which just happens to be my son's actually birthday, August 29th.

Then I selected the party menu for my guests

And boom, finally sent out invitations and got back a lot of RSVPs. I think people are ready to party and so are we. I am so excited!!

Welcome August

 Even during a pandemic, time seems to be flying by. August is here and that means I have a birthday to plan. My youngest baby will be 8 years old this month and I am excited for his big day.

Will we be able to host a legit party this year? Only time will tell as restrictions change from week to week. But I do hope we'll be able to plan something fun for his special day.

And speaking of parties, my daughter went to her first sweet 15 of the season. Seeing as she will be 15 next year, which marks a momentous occasion in a young Hispanic girls life, it's only fitting she start getting ideas for her own celebration by attending others.

Her classmates party was pretty laid back and casual but still so much fun. While we want to do something a little more grand and on a larger scale, it was nice to attend a sweet 15 without all the fuss and fanfare as we definitely want to break a bit from tradition as well.

 

About Thursday Night

 Who gets drunk on a Thursday night at a kids birthday party? That would be me. But to be fair, the party was held at a bar, so there's that.

Parties are finally happening again and we were able to attend our second party of the year. To say I was excited to be at another party is an understatement.  So I think I took my excitement a little too far. 

I had a blast and will have the memories to last a lifetime. But let me just say this; I never want to get that drunk ever again. 

It started simply enough with a cocktail of three chocolate based mixed liquors; Bailey's, Amaretto and a coffee liquor.  It was delicious. 

You see, I am not a drinker. I sometimes can't tell when a drink is too strong if mixed well. I am a lightweight and can get tipsy with just a couple of wine coolers. My limit is usually two to three drinks max and I tend to stay away from hard liquors. Shots are not my thing and I am not a fan of beer either. I like fruity drinks that taste delicious and that preferably have some sort of fruit detail and a straw. So the Orgasmic chocolate liquor drink was pretty strong for me. 

However, hubby saw how much I enjoyed it and ordered me another. I really should have just had the one because less than half way through my second glass I felt light headed and dizzy. I was officially drunk. 

After we got home and I went to bed, I felt sick. I was nauseous and uncomfortable. I never felt that way before after a night of drinking, especially since I only had two glasses. I had only ever been drunk two other times in my life but never felt so ill afterwards. 

Then the inevitable happened. I threw up, vomiting every last thing I drank and ate at the party. It was awful but I immediately felt better afterwards. I know my drinking limits and I will stick to them from now on. There is just no way I will get that drunk again. Point blank, period!

Family Weekend Beach Trip

 It was the mini getaway that I needed and thankfully got, a quick weekend trip to the beach before the new back to school period started up again. 

We headed to Jaco beach for the second year in a row and this time we took our two dogs with us, per hubby's request. It was his one condition and I couldn't say no. We stayed at the same hotel as last year, Beach Break Resort, which is a super animal friendly vacation hotel that's also pretty affordable.

Located right on the beach and literally only a 7 minute walk into town, it was the perfect place to set up shop for the weekend. Boasting 2 swimming pools, 2 kiddy wading pools, tennis and volleyball courts and a large dining area, it was the ideal family spot.

Now that the kids are back to school and have some semblance of a routine with the new normal that is life right now, I can be grateful that we took full advantage of our time of.