Week in Review 3.24.18

I felt like I had a cold all week or maybe allergies? I don't know but I do know that we had crazy weather! Monday and Tuesday were gorgeous and sunny and perfect. Wednesday was rainy with Thursday being a soaker. Friday it snowed! I mean, SNOW? in March? Crazy times over here. Construction continued on and inspections were passed so we're moving on. I need to make some decisions like should I put in the gas range upstairs now? Will Scott be on board with that plan? Do we switch our 15 year old water heater now or wait until it fails? If money were no object, I'd totally go for it but I'm trying to be fiscally responsible but also not cause ourselves issues in the future. 

Exercise

I got in 5 workouts this week! I did three boot camp classes and two barre3 classes. I was totally beat by Friday. I always debate working out 5 straight days in a row or working out two days, taking a break and then working out 3 more. I love the working out but the early morning wake-ups are the hard part right now. You'd think I'd be used to them by now!

Food


I was lucky enough to get a pint of Imperfect Produce's collaboration with Frankie and Jo's on their Rhubarb Yuzu Yogurt. The flavor is available via scoops or pints at Frankie and Jo's locations until April 3rd and uses Imperfect Produce excess rhubarb. Maggie and I loved the yogurt though Maggie insisted she was having Strawberry ice cream. 

I had a meeting at The Dane and was able to have one of their delicious sandwiches which was more arugula than bread and so delicious!

The Girls

Molly has developed a bad habit of coming to our bed in the middle of the night and for awhile we just let it go because well, tired. Not this week. We decided it had to end. Turns out our child is quite stubborn and soon there was a stand-off at 2:30 a.m. in my bedroom. She didn't count on her more stubborn parents who refused to budge. We have coffee on our side and was liberally applied the next day but so far, she's staying in her bed and we're all sleeping better. She also seems to have gotten over the hump of school anxiety and seems happier there. She told me she loves learning the most about going to school so either she's telling tales or feeling better. 

Maggie has been a spitfire this week. She's been yelling at the construction workers and telling them to use quieter saws. This cracked all of us up because the saw noise is what it is and while we'd all like construction to be quieter, it isn't. Maggie has also decided to only wear dresses and sequined ones at that. I'm convinced she is freezing but she said she wants to look fabulous! 

Other Goings On

I'm also still going strong on the Minimalist Game and am quite pleased with my progress. I figured out that I've gotten rid of 300 items so far already! By the end of the month, it will be 496 items or more! 

Construction is going well. The legal egress windows were cut this week which was loud and dusty. The window wells were also dug. My contractor said windows will be installed next week and the plumber should be making a visit to start installing shower valves and other stuff like that. 

Stories Published

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Spring Favorites

Spring is near! The sun has been shining more almost charming me into thinking there might be warmth outside. The changing of the season always gets me thinking about a few Spring favorite things which I thought I'd share with you.

First up, the new Levitate LE (Limited Edition) by Brooks Running! I was given a pair of these when they first came out and I LOVE them. They are super lightweight and provide a great cushion. I may not run much anymore but my feet are still happiest in Brooks Running shoes. 

I ordered these capris over the weekend from Old Navy and I'm dying for them to get here. My usual black and gray workout wear needs a POP of color. I love the little pink polka dots!

Our Dining Room desperately needs a rug to protect the oak hardwood floor. I found this beauty on Dot & Bo and snapped it up. I am a little worried that it will be too small but I also believe this will look gorgeous in the remodeled basement. 

I'm in love with these knobs from Anthropologie. I'm trying to think of where I could use them because they are simply divine! 

Week in Review 3.17.18

Life continued on this week. Scott was out of town. The basement continued to be remodeled and I continued to attempt to clean my house as my children did their best to trash it. All in all, a very average week. 

Exercise

I got in 5 workouts this week! I did two boot camp classes, two barre3 classes and a CityCycle class. I'm kinda proud of getting all my workouts in with Scott being gone. I had to work out later in the day which I'm not a fan of but I made it work. Wednesday's boot camp was so hard that I was still sore on Friday. What gets me is that while it was a harder workout, I didn't expect the intense soreness to last so long. I was still dragging this morning in barre3! 

Food

With Scott gone, meals were a lot simpler. It's funny, he doesn't care about fancy meals and probably would just go along with what I feed the kids but I also feel this need to make proper dinners when he is home. With spring nipping at our toes and summer around the corner, I'm going to start trying to embrace the simple more. 

The girls begged to eat at Blue C Sushi this week so we went when Scott was back from his work trip. They love the conveyer belt of sushi and get so excited. We do have to position them carefully or they grab way too much food! 

The Girls

We had some terrible drop-offs at the beginning of the week which just put me in a bad mood for the day. The girls have been a bit clingy since we returned from our trips and I've been having to help them separate from me. Otherwise they have really enjoyed the sun this week and played outside for hours and did not watch tv! 

We also sold Girl Scout cookies with Molly's troop and she had a really great time greeting people and asking if they'd like to support her troop. It was fun watching her hustle her cookie sales. She got really into it. 

Other Goings On

I did a Day in the Life on Thursday this week and had fun documenting an average day. I always like going back and looking at these and seeing how life has changed over the years. 

8:12 pm // Time for @reebeckiminimalistgame! Today I needed 15 items to get rid of. I’m sorting/purging my yarn so in less than 5 minutes, I had more than 15 items. I can’t wait to really dig into this project. I’ve only scratched the surface. #aedayinthelife #reebeckidayinthelife18

A post shared by Rebecca Mongrain (@reebecki) on Mar 15, 2018 at 8:26pm PDT

I'm also still going strong on the Minimalist Game and have been tossing so many things. Getting rid of items daily is really working for me since I take about 10 minutes to get rid of stuff and then move on. Usually I take an entire day and then get tired and the project sits half finished for months. 

 

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Chronicles of a Basement Remodel

Seven years ago when we bought this house, we fell in love with the unfinished basement. The high ceilings and expansive space was impressive. We could see the possibilities of the space. Time passed and we settled into the main level of the house and shoved things to deal with later in the basement. 

We made an area for the kids to run and play. I painted a wall with chalkboard paint and made an art room. I redid other parts of the basement. I painted the small bathroom and we added flooring to the craft room. We also installed a drain to stop any potential water issues. 

The kids continued to grow and we quickly realized they would want more space as they got older. Last year, Scott announced that it was time to think about remodeling the basement. I got to work finding a contractor and hired a friend as our architect.  I must have interviewed over 20 contractors. Some were outrageously expensive while others were suspiciously low in their bids. After careful consideration, I hired a contractor who came with great recommendations and then got to work designing the space with our architect. Our plan for the space is to make two bedrooms with a family room/media area in between along with an enclosed laundry/utility room. The existing bathroom is being gutted and enlarged. The corner shower was difficult to shower in and the room was quite tight. This way both girls will be able to use the bathroom without as much fighting. 

Last week, we finally began work on the basement. And by we, I don't mean me and Scott. I mean our contractor and his crew began work. It has been loud and messy but as we see the space coming together, it is also exciting. 

Right before the project started, I was extremely stressed about moving everything out of our basement. Scott and I have been slowly purging for months but there was still so much stuff. We moved some stuff upstairs and I hired Clutter.com to come and take the rest to storage. They are amazing. They show up with two workers and a truck, load all your stuff up, take photos of everything and put it in storage. When we are ready, they will bring everything back to the house. I have a bad feeling that we'll be purging even more crap when our belongings come back. 

Last week they demo'd the entire basement and hauled away two dumpsters worth of debris. They also did the earthquake retrofit and started framing out the walls. Electric has been demo'd and recommendations are coming on that soon. There are so many little details to think about. They aren't exciting decisions either like mirrors and sinks. They are boring details like, do we need a new electrical panel or should the windows open by sliding or lifting? All important details but not very exciting ones. I can't wait to see what this week brings! 

Down Under Adventure!

Last month, the Mongrains headed to Sydney, Australia which was literally a dream trip for me. I've been dreaming of heading down under since I was 8 years old when I had a giant Koala stuffed animal collection and sang Kookaburra Sits in The Old Gum Tree and Waltzing Matilda on repeat. 

Scott has to go to Sydney for work quite often and after missing his first trip there, I announced that we'd make it work the next time and we did. I don't believe in pulling kids out of school for many reasons but this trip of a lifetime had me pulling Molly out faster than she could blink. 

I was very worried about how we would handle the 15.5 hour plane ride. I knew I would be able to entertain myself but I wasn't sure about the girls. They did amazing! We took a short jet ride from Seattle to Vancouver where we had a 4 hour layover. We used that time to grab dinner, fill up our water bottles and stroll around a bit. We sat at our gate for awhile and I found a fellow passenger's passport and tickets. I kept my eye out for him and when he came rushing back to the gate, I was able to hand him his stuff with a smile. He was quite appreciative. 

As for the plane ride, we were able to endure the second 15.5 hour ride with style. I packed a few new toys to keep the kids entertained which worked well combined with the inflight entertainment system and the constant delivery of food. We also scored a red-eye flight which meant we slept a fair amount. 

We landed at 11 a.m. and I quickly put everyone on Sydney's schedule to avoid jet lag. We took a taxi from the airport to our hotel before heading out to find some lunch options. We stayed at the Notvotel Darling Harbour which was located across the street from a shopping centre and two blocks away from a ferry dock. It also had the best breakfast buffet and every morning when I wake up and it is not available in my home, I am mad. 

After eating at Grill'd (which had some amazing burgers!), we opted to  jump aboard a Hop On, Hop Off bus. I love Hop On, Hop Off buses when visiting a new location. Yes, they can be a bit cheesy and overly touristy but I love how they quickly allow me to get my bearings and provide a broad overview of a city. We road through Sydney and I mentally made notes of places I wanted to visit over the next 10 days. Maggie fell asleep on the bus so we decided to hop off near our hotel and head back to our room. Everyone else was able to stay up until about 8 p.m. when we drifted off for the night. 

On our second day in Sydney, we headed out of the city to The Blue Mountains with a tour group. Our tour guide, Dave was hilarious and kept us entertained. The Blue Mountains are about an hour west of the city and are covered in eucalyptus forests giving them a blueish hue. Our first stop was at Featherdale Wildlife Park, a wildlife conservatory where my childhood dream of petting a Koala came true. Scott quickly rushed me to the "Pet a Koala and Photography" area. He laid out the absurd amount of money required for this venture and I GOT TO PET A KOALA. Our koala was named Victor and I don't think he cared about us at all. Ha! I, however was on cloud nine and my kids were amused by my excitement. Featherdale Wildlife Park is packed full of amazing animals including kangaroos, wallabies, crocodiles, Australian birds and all sorts of other animals. After Featherdale Wildlife Park, we headed toward the Blue Mountains. It was a long ride but a beautiful one and The Blue Mountains were breathtaking. At Scenic World on top of the mountains, we took two gondolas before embarking on a ride up the steepest railroad in the world. I was a bit (ALOT) terrified as we headed straight up the mountain on the railroad. 

After lunch and a ride back down the mountain, our tour guide dropped us off at the Sydney Olympic Park where the 2000 Summer Olympics were held. From there we hopped aboard a passenger ferry to head back to Circular Quay. It was the first of many ferry rides, we'd enjoy over our trip. I often lamented, Why doesn't Seattle offer ferry rides like this? as we rode around. I know we have some passenger ferries but they are cumbersome and not easy to take. Sydney's ferries were abundant and easy to ride. Sydney has an extensive train system, buses, soon a light rail system and, my favorite way to travel through Sydney, passenger ferries which sail over Sydney Harbour offering spectacular views of Sydney. Rideshare bikes were also abundant and unlike Seattle, most provided helmets for their riders to use. 

We spent our second day in Sydney, just walking. We took the ferry to Circular Quay and walked through the The Royal Botanic Garden, into St. Mary’s Cathedral (which wasn’t even finished until the early 2000s) and through Hyde Park. We snagged ice cream at the ice cream truck outside the church. We would soon discover that these ice cream trucks could be found all over the city. We ambled through the New South Wales Museum where Maggie announced some paintings were inspirational and others were not. We had a great day just roaming the city. 

The next day was Monday which meant Scott went to work. The girls and I walked him to work and then stopped at a grocery store for breakfast and snacks. The girls were dying to play so we headed to the Children's Playground at Darling Quarter where the kids played most of the day. The playground is giant and had multiple swings, a zip line, a large climber and two water splash areas. Scott met us after work for dinner at Betty’s Burgers where I had a fried mushroom burger with gouda and gruyére cheese. It was so good! Like most of the food in Sydney, our meal was crazy expensive though. 

Food is expensive in Australia yet so fresh and so good. A simple lunch of three sandwich entrees with drinks was usually around $65. To combat food prices, I started making everyone eat at our hotel’s breakfast buffet. The buffet was $30 for me and free for the kids. I'm still dreaming of this buffet that included the most amazing eggs, delicious yogurts, all kinds of breads and breakfast sweets along with sausages, mushrooms and more. We would seriously load up at breakfast and still be full at lunch. The kids loved this because I'd often let them just have ice cream for lunch. It was all we could fit in after that amazing breakfast buffet. 

The girls and I headed to Taronga Zoo later in the week. Built on the side of a hill with access via gondola, the zoo opened in 1916 and provides exceptional views of the city. I loved arriving via ferry and checking out all the animals. We spent most of our day exploring the zoo and having a grand time. 

Throughout the week, we also took a ferry to Manly Beach where we swam in one of the many sea pools. The Fairy Bower Sea Pool is not large but is such a great experience. Built by local residents in 1929, the pool is one of a number of historic pools cut and blasted along the New South Wales coast. Molly suffered her first jellyfish sting on the shores of Manly Beach. The sweetest Australian came to our rescue and helped flush Molly's leg with fresh water. I then found a shower and flushed it some more. After about an hour, she was back to her old self and chatting about her brush with the jellyfish. 

One day, we visited Luna Park for some old school amusement park fun. Located at Milsons Point, Luna Park Sydney is just 600 meters from the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The original Luna Park was built in 1935 and has undergone a series of closing, renaming and openings over the years. I bought two ride tickets for the girls and off we went. There was a re-make of Cooney Island where Maggie made me go down the scariest slide of my life. Molly filmed my fear and we laughed for hours about it. 

After a week with just the girls, Scott finished up with work and was able to join us on our final adventures in Sydney for the weekend. We got up on Saturday and made the long journey to Bondi Beach. We walked from our hotel to the trail station and then took a bus for the final leg. Bondi Beach is one of Australia’s most iconic beaches and is gorgeous. The nearby Icebergs ocean pool is open year-round with admission open to visitors for a small fee. Scott marched us up and around the shores of Bondi before stopping at a beach where the kids were finally able to dive in. Unfortunately the rip tide flags were out so I didn't let them go in farther than their ankles. They were not impressed with me but I like living children so it was what it was. We played on the beach for awhile before using one of the many shower facilities to get cleaned up and changed into dry clothing. We made the hike back to the main part of Bondi Beach and found a place to get fish and chips. We took an Uber back to the hotel and started packing up for our trip home. 

I was not ready to come home at all. Seattle was cold and dreary. Sydney was bright and sunny. Who can resist enjoying summer in the midst of their winter? I am dreaming of our next trip and plotting ways to live in Sydney. We had such an amazing time and the girls were great travelers. I am honestly proud of great the kids did on our trip. They embraced all the new things coming at them and took them in stride. They did their best to be kind and did not get lost. All in all, great attributes! 

Week in Review 3.10.18

We started a basement remodel this week which means I've spent time answering questions, asking questions, trying to clean up the disaster of our upstairs and then also just dealing with regular life. At some point, life will slow down, right? 

Exercise

I got in 6 workouts this week! I did three boot camp classes and three barre3 classes. I'm not sure how I did it since I've been feeling low-level sick all week but I also feel powerful. I'm 6 workouts into my 20 workouts for March! 

Food

I finally got our March menu planned and dragged the kids to Costco. I haven't been since December so we needed to stock up. The girls did really well so it was a good trip and we are now fully stocked up on snacks and other meal necessities. Otherwise food was good but not exciting this week. I got some great meals from Acme Kitchen and Farms and of course, our Imperfect Produce delivery. 

I also picked up some Seattle Elderberry syrup to deal with my low-level cold and drank a ton of ginger-turmeric tea to keep the germs at bay. I think it helped as I haven't gotten sick. I just feel run-down. Also the syrup tastes delicious! 

The Girls

I volunteered twice in Molly's classroom this week during her reading time and enjoyed seeing the different kids and their levels of reading skills. I also helped out in Maggie's classroom with the school auction project and now just need to put it together. 

The kids have been a bit crazy and not using their listening ears which is driving me insane. Yesterday, Maggie's lack of listening ears almost ended with her hurt . Maggie announced that she wanted to twirl in our front yard so I was watching her from the living room. I noticed a German Shepard outside with no person. I quickly opened the door and told her to come inside NOW and in true Maggie spirit, she refused and said she wanted to play with the doggie. I dashed outside to grab her and Lewis (the cat) ran out. Now I have a strange dog, a loose cat and a child who is not listening. I decided to take out the threat and approach the dog who is very obedient and sits when I tell him too. He also has a collar so I grab it and send Molly over to the neighbor's house. They have dogs and therefore leashes. The neighbor ran over with a leash in like 2 seconds. He's amazing. The owner comes running up with kid on her hip, looking panicked. They just got the dog a few days before and he escaped from their fenced yard. Afterwards I had a chat with Maggie about listening to me and doing what I ask of her. She said she understood but I'm not buying it. What do you do when your kid does not listen and it could potentially be dangerous to them? 

Other Goings On

I've been doing the Minimalist Game and clearing out so much crap! It feels so good to get rid of stuff. I've even begun to cull the kid's crap. They aren't cleaning it up so I'm just getting rid of it. Mwhahahaahah! 

I also finished up my March Charity hat and am already plotting Aprils. First though I need to knit up some baby gifts. I've really been into knitting lately.