New Green Mama

Featured on Remodelaholic

2012-05-30T08:55:00.002-05:00

I am so honored that our kitchen remodel is featured today at Remodelaholic. Be sure to check it out.

You can find it here: Custom Cabinets Kitchen Island

Moving On

2012-05-23T09:19:00.001-05:00

You might remember that not too long ago the room right next to our kitchen looked like this.

While we had the contractor working on the kitchen, we had him drywall the room for us. It was previously nasty fake wood paneling.

When we removed all the molding, we discovered our fireplace was pulling away from the wall.

So we hired a mason to remove the old facade and build a new one.

This is how the fireplace looked when he was finished.

Now that we are officially finished with the kitchen we have started work on this room. Mitch had to pull up all the sub flooring around the back door and replace it. Before we had the fireplace repaired we had a water leak that caused quite a bit of damage around the door.

Look how rotten the wood was behind the wall. Yikes.

Here it is after he replaced the studs.

After he was finished with the door, he framed out the fireplace. He is going to build a surround and probably drywall the top portion.

Then he leveled out the floor. The floor was very uneven, so it was definitely a process.

Then we spent Sunday afternoon laying down the floor.

It's starting to look like a real room now.

The kids have enjoyed "skating" around the floor on their socks. It is also So nice to have the floor flow from the kitchen into this room.

We are still trying to decide whether we are going to replace the back door. It has a doggie door in the bottom middle panel, which is very nice for Bailey. We love the full glass door, but all the doors we have seen now have a full glass panel instead of individual panels. So we would not be able to put a doggie door in. We have really been trying to make this door work, so we will see. Now Mitch has to finish the fireplace. We need to paint the ceiling and walls. Then put the molding back up. Once all of that is finished we need to buy or build a table. The plan is to have a table close to where the couch is now. Then have a little sitting area by the fireplace. I am so ready to have my house put back together again.

Reusable Mason Jar To Go Cup Tutorial

2012-05-22T05:00:00.000-05:00

I saw these on etsy a couple of weeks ago and couldn't stop thinking about them. So I knew that I had to make some for myself. I have such a weakness for mason jars.

Do you want to make your own?

Here's what you will need:

Mason Jar (I used a wide mouth pint jar)
Sharpie or pen
Hole Punch (The one I have is for scrapbooking, but it cuts through metal and leather. I think it is called a crop-a-dile. I use it all the time for various things.)
1/4" Rubber Grommets (I bought mine here) I am sure you can find them at the hardware store too.

Take one of the grommets and place it where you want it to go on the top. I started off in the middle, but for the rest of the ones that I did I made the hole closer to one side.

Then mark the center with your pen.

This is where you want to punch your hole. You could also use a drill to make your hole, but I am a little afraid of power tools.

Now punch a hole in the top where you marked.

My hole was not large enough so I kept punching around the original hole to enlarge the hole to the right size.

It doesn't have to be exact. It just needs to be large enough so that the grommet can be squeezed through that hole. You also don't want the hole too big or the grommet will move around too much.

Now take the grommet and work it into the hole. Be careful with the hole in the middle. The edges are sharp.

Keep working it until you get it all the way through.

Stick a straw through the hole and put the top on the jar. You are ready to enjoy a nice cold beverage.

You can see from this photo that I placed the hole more towards the edge on the one in the bottom right hand corner. I actually preferred drinking from this one. I also made some smaller ones for the kids, but they liked drinking from the larger ones. The small ones are so cute though. I have stainless steel straws that we use for smoothies that worked perfectly. The striped straws are biodegradable paper ones found here.

Weekend Fun

2012-05-21T08:59:00.001-05:00

Here are some snapshots from our weekend.

We played and watched some baseball...

played with cousins...

picked some blueberries from the yard....

and did some Taekwondo. Harper was very excited that she got to spar one of her isntructors.

We also picked up our first CSA share of the season, but I forgot to take a photo. This week we got lettuce, kale, strawberries, squash, sweet potoatoes, and green onions. Mitch has been working like crazy on the living/dining room, so I will have photos later in the week of our progress.

Kitchen Reveal Finally!!!

2012-05-15T18:35:00.000-05:00

I really never thought this day would come, but I can finally say we are finished with the kitchen. It has been a long journey (8 months) and we still have lots of work to do in the rest of the house. But let's focus on what is finished, ok?

I know my before photos are not the best, but my wide angle lens was broken at the time. Plus it was so dark in there it was hard to get a decent shot. I hardly even remember my kitchen looking like this. Can't say I miss it.

Before:

This is what I get to enjoy now.

After:

Budget:
I know I have never mentioned our budget for the kitchen remodel. To be honest we had a number in our heads that we didn't want to go over ($10,000), but we really wanted to keep it as low as we could. I think we might have been a tad bit optimistic. : ) Since the project was spread out over a long period of time (8 months), it was easier for us to pay for things as we went along too. We have been saving for this remodel for several years now though.  We didn't borrow any money or create any debt doing the remodel. Here's a breakdown of what we spent on the major stuff:

Contractor: $3786 (We had him for 2 weeks)
Caesarstone Countertops: $2100
Butcherblock Countertop: $320
Backsplash: $675
Oven, Dishwasher, and Microwave: $1798.20
Hood and Cabinet Hardware: $560.90
Flooring: $1700 (We bought enough for the kitchen and adjoining room)
Sink and Faucet: $546.91
Coffee Maker and Toaster Oven: $160
Track Lighting: $236

Total: $11,883.01

As you can see we went over budget and this list isn't even including all of those little things that add up really quickly like wood, paint, and waterlox.   So we probably spent more like $13,000 total if I had to guess. Considering we completely gutted our kitchen, I don't think that is too bad.

Wondering where we got something? See my source list below.

Source List:
Countertops: Caesarstone in Pebble honed (We used Granite Direct in Nashville)
Butcherblock Countertop: Cabinets To Go
Marble Tile Backsplash:  The Tile Shop
36 inch Range Hood: Overstock
Frigidaire 30" Wall Oven: AJ Madison
Frigidaire Microwave: AJ Madison
Frigidaire Dishwasher: AJ Madison
Swiftlock Flooring in Chestnut Hickory: Lowes
Cup Cabinet Pulls : Overstock
Cabinet Knobs: Overstock
Kraus 30 inch Farmhouse Apron Sink: Amazon
Kraus Single Lever Faucet: Amazon
Red Cuisinart Coffee Maker: Amazon
Cuisinart Toaster Oven: Amazon
Utensil Holder, Fruit Bowl, Rugs and Dishtowels: Target
Track Lighting: Lowes
Wall Paint- Behr's Jamaica Bay: Home Depot
Cabinet and Trim Paint- Alabaster :Sherwin Williams

Ceiling tile mirror: Made by my dad.

Island: My husband made the island based on Ana White's plans. The top is a salvaged piece of mahagony from my grandparent's house. He did not stain it at all, so that is the natural color of the wood. I love how it turned out.

Bar stools: We already had the bar stools. I plan on recovering them using this fabric. I used the same type of fabric when I recovered my chairs and they have held up great.

Refrigerator: We kept our existing fridge.
Cooktop: We kept our existing cooktop. We hope to replace it at some point.

Cabinets: My husband built all the cabinets along the refrigerator wall. We were able to keep our existing pantry and the drawers underneath.  Our contractor built all the cabinets on the sink side of the kitchen.  He also made all of the doors. My husband made all the drawer fronts and installed all the hardware. I don't have an exact amount, but I would say that we spent around $3000 for all of the cabinets. So we saved lots of money making them ourselves.

I just want to say thank you to everyone that provided me with moral support over the last several months. Your sweet comments really kept me sane on many, many occasions.

You can find all of my kitchen posts here.

Now we can move on to the next room.

Snapshot Sunday-Purple Belt

2012-05-14T09:24:00.000-05:00

Harper tested for her purple belt on friday. Eventhough this wasn't her best testing, she never got discouraged.

She broke a board with a step behind side kick, but I took video of it instead of photos.

Way to go Harper!!

Kitchen Update- So, So Close

2012-05-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

I am SO close to being able to post an official kitchen reveal. I still need to put some pictures on the wall and cover the cushions on the bar stools, but I thought I would show you a few things that are finally finished.

The butcherblock countertop is sealed and installed. Mitch sealed it with waterlox, so he had to wait for the temperature and humidity to be just right. He ran into some problems, so of course it took much longer than we thought it would.

He also put new faces on the existing drawers so that they matched everything else.

He also built us an island after we determined that there really was not enough space for a table and 4 chairs in this space. He used an old piece of mahogany for the top that my dad salvaged from my grandparents house. It is a beautiful piece of wood and I was excited that we could put it to good use. Thanks Dad!! He spent more time sanding the piece wood than he did building the entire island, but I think it was worth the hard work.

I am hoping to show you everything next week even if it isn't quite perfect. I also need to show you a picture of the room we are tackling next. Ugh.

Catching Up On The Kids

2012-05-09T10:13:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone. Sorry my posts have been pretty scarce lately. Life has been super busy, so the poor

blog has been suffering as a result. It's been awhile since I did a post on the kids, so here's what they have been up to.

They have been finding ways to cool off from the extra warm temperatures we have been experiencing.

My dad has been putting slip and slides together for us since I was little.

Miller has been playing baseball and loving it. He asks me every day if he has a game. It is so fun to seem him so excited about something. This photo cracks me up. Mitch fixed his pants and hat after this photo was taken.

Harper is still enjoying Tae Kwon Do. She is getting close to testing for her purple belt. She also had her mile run at school and finished in 8:11, which was 6 seconds slower than her fall time. At least she is consistent. She was the first person to cross the finish line in her class. I was so proud of her.

They only have 2 more weeks of school left. Can you believe it? We are all excited about summer break.

I hope to have a sneak peak into the kitchen tomorrow. I am not quite ready for an official reveal yet. I still have to put some things on the walls and make it look all pretty, but we are pretty much finished. Woohoo!! Now we get to move on to our living rooms.

Spinach Colada

2012-05-01T16:25:00.001-05:00

If you still haven't tried a green smoothie, you have to try this one. Both of my kids guzzled this one down and Harper usually won't drink my green smoothies. Mitch even sent me an e-mail from work telling me that this one was a winner. I am thinking it would make great popsicles too. Mmmm.

Ingredients:
4 cups of spinach loosely packed
1 banana
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 cup frozen mango
1 cup coconut milk (canned)
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 cup water

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend away.

ING Nashville Kids Marathon

2012-04-30T09:03:00.000-05:00

Harper ran the kids marathon on Friday night. She has been running every day after school for the last few months. They run the last mile downtown with all the other kids from different schools, so it is really exciting.

After finally getting downtown (there was SO much traffic), we ran to the start line. We barely made it in time.

She found a friend at the last minute so she didn't have to run alone. She said that the race went by so fast. She couldn't believe that it was really a mile. It was a nightmare trying to get out of the parking lot, so we decided to walk across the bridge and eat on 2nd Ave.

It was the perfect way to end the evening.

Our Baby Birds

2012-04-24T08:50:00.001-05:00

It is crazy to see how much the baby birds have grown in a week.

April 18th

April 19th

April 20th

April 21st

April 22nd

April 23rd

One of the birds has left the nest, but there are still 3 that are staying in the nest.

We actually got to watch the bird practice flying. It was pretty cool.

Today

I know they will all leave soon because there is not much room left in their tiny nest.

Snapshot Sunday- Happy Earth Day

2012-04-22T17:05:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Earth Day by picking up trash at Harper and Miller's school. They both wanted to do something to help the earth, so it worked out perfectly.

I hope everyone had a great Earth Day.

Kid's Garden

2012-04-18T09:59:00.002-05:00

The kids decided they wanted their very own garden this year. When we received a seed catalog in the mail this winter, they went to town picking out what they wanted to plant. I decided I would let them each have a side. They picked out mostly flowers, but Miller did pick out some beans.

It has been so nice out. The kids have been begging me to plant their seeds, so I finally gave in.

I got some cilantro, dill, lavender, and tomato seeds. I still need to plant some basil. We signed up to do a CSA again so I am not going to stress out about our garden this year. I know I will have plenty of organic, local fruits and veggies coming my way.

My parsley is still looking good. I also have some chives and thyme that came back from last year.

The biggest surprise was some arugula that popped up. The kids love tasting all the different herbs. It is not uncommon for one of the kids to come in from playing outside with parsley breath.

Ric Rac Baby Blanket

2012-04-17T08:50:00.002-05:00

I actually did a tiny bit of sewing this weekend. I made a baby blanket for a friend. I used this tutorial, but I used cotton and minky for the back.

The minky I bought is SO soft. Both of my kids had a fit over this blanket.

It is a really simple blanket and came together really quickly.

I would say I spent a total of one hour start to finish. That's my kind of project!! I think the rounded corners and ric rac add a nice touch.

It was nice to finish something, since it seems like our home projects are never ending right now. I am not going to have a kitchen update this week. I think I am going to hold off until it is complete, since we are just putting the finishing touches on.

Snapshot Sunday- Macro Garden & More Birds

2012-04-16T08:59:00.002-05:00

I had some fun with my macro lens yesterday.

The blueberry bushes are blooming.

Beans are sprouting.

Roses are blooming.

The clematis is in full bloom.

Even dandelions can be pretty, right?

Can't forget the birds.

I can't believe how much they have grown in a week.

I read somewhere that the mom and dad robin make over 400 trips in one day to feed their babies. I would believe it. The babies were on their own most of the weekend, but it seemed like the parents were always coming back with more food. It seems like they are eating constantly.

You should be able to tell from this photo that there are indeed 4 babies.

I am going to be sad when they leave the nest. I am totally obsessed with watching these little guys.

Bird Watching

2012-04-12T09:25:00.000-05:00

We have been doing some bird watching at my house. We have a mountain laurel tree right outside our bathroom window. It must be the perfect place for a nest because it seems like we have a bird nest there every year. We usually get doves, but this year we have a robin.

We have been watching for the eggs to hatch for a couple of weeks now and finally this week they hatched.

How cute are these little guys? I think they are hungry. It has been so fascinating to watch the momma and daddy bird tending to the babies. I think I check the window at least 15 times a day.

It's hard to tell from the photo, but there are 3-4 baby birds. I have seen 3, but Harper swears there are 4 of them. I think they are used to us glaring at them now because it doesn't seem to bother them any more. Hopefully I will be able to get some shots of them as they get bigger.

Kitchen Update- Bells & Whistles

2012-04-10T08:47:00.000-05:00

We were gone a good portion of the week last week, so no major progress on the kitchen. We are checking off little items though. Mitch has all the cabinets door and hardware installed on this side of the room.

We had to do some touch up painting on the top doors, so there is no hardware yet. The bottom doors and drawers are finished. You can see we pulled out the butcherblock so that we can stain and seal it. You can also kind of see if you look in the right hand corner that Mitch installed the quarter round around the baseboards and under the cabinets. So the floor looks more finished now.

I wanted to show some of the fun organizational stuff that Mitch has installed. We have a pullout trash can and recycle bin.

A place for our pots and pans underneath the stove top.

More pull out storage under the oven.

One final pull out drawer to fit random appliances. I still haven't completely organized everything. I need to do that. I guess I can add that to my list.

Here's the butcherblock with 2 coats of stain. We decided to go with a more natural color since the floors are so dark. I love being able to see all the varying colors of wood.

Mitch stained the ledge for the opening the same color, but it didn't look right. So he sanded it down and restained it. I need to get a photo of it with the new stain. We went with a darker color for this piece.

We still need to touch up wall and ceiling paint, install the trim, seal and install the ledge and butcherblock. Then paint all the trim and caulk around the countertop. Oh, and install the remaining hardware. I am SO ready to be done with the kitchen. Then we get to move on to the living rooms. Woohoo!!!

Sunday Snapshot- Spring Break

2012-04-09T09:48:00.001-05:00

We had an awesome time visiting Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge with friends.

I didn't take as many photos as I would have liked, but these two are my favorites of all the kiddos.

Happy Monday everyone.

Juice Beauty Giveaway Winner

2012-04-05T15:41:00.000-05:00

I used random.org to pick a winner. The winner is # 6- soccermom1.

We are on Spring Break this week so that is why I have been missing in action. I will be back next week with a kitchen and vacation update.

Juice Beauty Review and Giveaway

2012-03-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

***THIS GIVEAWY IS NOW CLOSED***

One of my biggest challenges in my going green journey has been finding skincare products that are good for my body and the environment that actually work. I have tried so many different products that left me very disappointed. So when I was given the opportunity to review Juice Beauty's products, I was so excited.

Juice Beauty products are made with a minimum of 85% and up to 98% USDA certified organic content. Instead of the typical water-base that most natural skincare brands use (which just dilutes all the active ingredients), Juice Beauty products have an organic fruit juice base that is naturally loaded with antioxidants, essential vitamins and phytonutrients.

Juice Beauty EcoChic Values

1. CLINICALLY VALIDATED RESULTS: efficacy achieved through cutting edge organic technology.

2. AUTHENTICALLY ORGANIC: target a standard for all Juice Beauty products to fall within

80 – 98% total organic content. Meet California Organic Products Act minimum of 70% total organic content (excluding water) by using a certified organic base & ingredients.

3. POWERFUL ACTION WITHOUT: Stay on the cutting edge of purity by excluding Parabens, petroleum, butylene and propylene glycol, PEG, sodium lauryl sulfates, pesticides, phthalates, artificial dyes or synthetic fragrances. Continual preservative improvement.

4. QUALITY AROMAS: Achieved from organic & natural essential oils (not synthetic fragrance).

5. SUPPORT our USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC FARMERS: Stay close to our suppliers.

6. BUY LOCAL: Buy the majority of our ingredients locally from the West Coast.

7. SUSTAINABLE & RECYCLED: Use only sustainably sourced and/or recycled paper for all supplies, focus on recycled components & recycle again.

8. SOLAR POWER & GLUTEN FREE LABS: Manufacture the majority of our products using Solar Power and all manufacturing done in Gluten Free Labs.

9. NO ANIMAL TESTING: Conduct no animal testing.

10. GIVE BACK. Juice Beauty currently donates a percentage of all profits to the following charities: San Francisco Breast Cancer Fund; The Organic Center, Teens Turning Green; Conservation International and the documentary-Miss Representation.

I received the Green Apple Age Defying Kit. I immediately loved all of the products. My skin felt so soft and I could feel the skin around my eyes tightening after using the eye treatment. I was so impressed that I ordered more of the eye treatment plus some other products to try. I want to try the tinted moisturizer with SPF next. All of the products I have used smell wonderful too.

So do you want a chance to win a kit to try? To enter for a chance to win this kit all you have to do is sign up for Juice Beauty's newsletter, then leave a comment that you signed up. For bonus entries follow them on facebook or twitter. I will pick a winner April 4th.

Juice Beauty is also offering all of my readers a special offer. You will receive a FREE Organic Facial Rejuvenating Mask (a value of $32) plus FREE Shipping with any order of $35 when you enter the code NEWGREENMAMA at checkout. The promo will be good until 4.14. This product is perfect for all skin types to get skin back in shape after winter!

We Have a Hood

2012-03-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

Our contractor wasn't able to make it out last week to install the hood and put up the trim.

Mitch spent most of the weekend installing the hood. There were so many little things that had to be done to get it all ready that it took him longer than expected. I guess that's just the way it always works. The fireplace was cleaned and sealed. Mitch got most of the doors installed and has been working on putting on pulls and knobs. I was hoping to have more accomplished after this weekend, but what do you do? The installation of the hood was the last major thing that needed to happen in the kitchen. So at least we don't have anything else big to do. I will be excited once the trim and ledge on the opening are finished and everything is caulked. It will finally look finished.

Sunday Snapshots- It's Spring

2012-03-26T09:18:00.002-05:00

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous here. I finally took some time to venture into the yard and snap some shots.

Happy Monday everyone.

Brownie Stitch It Patch Sewing Kit

2012-03-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

I did something crafty last week. Woohoo. Last week I helped Harper's Brownie troop with a sewing project. They are working on their Stitch It Patch, so I came up with the idea to have the girls sew a simple bag on the sewing machine. The bag then could be used to hold sewing supplies. At the end of the meeting each girl would leave with a sewing kit.

I was a little nervous about teaching them to sew on the sewing machine, but they all did great. I cut all the fabric and twill tape ahead of time to make it easier.

I just used supplies I already had at home, except for the scissors. I also brought my sizzix and a bunch of felt so that they could cut out shapes to make flowers. They loved cutting all the felt pieces. It also put a good dent in my felt stash, which was nice.

All the little items fit perfectly in this little altoid tin.

My mom had a stash of them and she was nice enough to donate them for the project.

I let them pick some buttons and pins from my stash along with some needles and safety pins.

Everything fit neatly into their bag. I think the girls enjoyed the project. It did get a little chaotic, but overall I would call it a success.

One of the little girls used the felt to make a flower and sewed it to the front of the bag. It was very sweet. Hopefully some of them will be inspired to create some more wonderful things.

Kitchen Update-Fireplace, Doors, and Grout

2012-03-19T09:24:00.000-05:00

Despite another busy weekend, we were able to mark a few more things off of our list. The list is definitely getting shorter, which makes me very happy!!

The Mason came on Tuesday and took down our brick fireplace facade. Here's what it looked like when I left Tuesday morning.

Mitch snapped an in progress photo.

This is what it looked like when I got home that evening. Pretty, huh?

Mitch snapped some more in progress photos for me. Here is a shot of the mason building a new brick surround.

Here is what it looked like at the end of the day Wednesday. He is going to come back tomorrow to clean up the brick. We chose some slate tiles for the floor. Mitch is going to build a wood surround and mantle. Then we are probably going to drywall above the mantle, but we are going to finish the kitchen first.

I spent Sunday afternoon painting cabinet doors. One side had been painted so I needed to prime and put 2 coats on the other side. We stayed up late last night putting a final coat on. There will be touch ups that we will have to do once they are hung back up, but for the most part I am done painting cabinets.

Mitch was able to hang the doors on this side of the room. He is going to try to add the pulls and knobs some time this week.

We also found a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon to grout the tile. I know it is hard to tell from the photos, but it looks so much better now. We just need to let it cure for another day or so and then seal it.

Our contractor is coming on Thursday or Friday to put up the hood and trim. We really are in the home stretch.

We still need to finish the butcherblock countertop, install the ledge in the opening, install the quarter round, reinstall all the doors, add knobs and pulls, and put a toe kick around the bottom of the cabinets on the sink side. Then we move to the fireplace room.

Kitchen Update- Tile and Paint

2012-03-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

We had a busy weekend working on the kitchen, but made some pretty good progress. I say that every week don't I?

I primed and put a couple of coats on one side of all the cabinet doors. I also put another 2 coats of paint on the base cabinets.

We sanded the drywall, then primed. Mitch painted the ceiling. Then we painted the walls. You can see the crazy color that we finally choose. It is a little out of my comfort zone, but it is growing on me. We also installed 2 light fixtures, which gives us so much more light. I forgot to take a photo, but I will post some next time I do a kitchen update.

Then Sunday was spent tiling the backsplash. I tried to help, but this was really a one man job.

Here it is all finished. Well, mostly finished. We still need to grout.

It's marble and I love it.

The hood will cover this space once it is installed.

I have walked into my kitchen at least 50 times just to stare at it. Harper walked in this morning and said, "This is not our kitchen." I take that as a good sign.

Hopefully we will get the tile grouted this week. Mitch needs to decide if he is going to install the hood or have our contractor come back. Then we need to put up trim and quarter round, stain and seal the butcherblock, and install a piece of wood for the pass through. Oh, and finish painting the other side of all the cabinet doors. Then we can tackle the other room. We have a mason coming this week to take down the brick facade, so I am sure I will have more photos to share.