Updates around the house- Sunshade for deck, Firepit chairs, Pergo hallway and picket fence updates (to name a few)

So I've been kind of MIA from the blog-o here, partially due to lots of things happening in life, but also due to lack of energy to blog- I blame my new found exercise regime- wears me out. lol. (You can check out my trials with weight loss and exercise over at Stepping with Smiles, btw.)
Among many things (such as working full-time and rehearsal for a theater cabaret I got roped into doing) hubs and I have been doing some minor updates to the humble abode.
Check out some of the fun stuff we've completed around the house recently:

Sunshade added above the corner benches

Now things are shaded from the sun a little better. 

We originally made it even, but after some thought, we made these two front posts shorter, so the shade would be at a angle- making it better during rain time

It worked out nice when we had friends over- this was where everyone hung out for our Murder Mystery night- along with some tasty dinner also served on the deck.

 Firepit chair update

The before- the metal was a little worn (these actually went with our dining room table- but they just took up too much room- with having the arm rests) 

After- all bright (we did 2 in the yellow/green and 2 in the blue) 

We mixed them up with the other chairs we have (from our patio set- but we could just use the neon chairs if we moved the patio table to actually eat around)

Firepit time!

 Pergo hallway redo

I come home one day, and the hubs has torn up all the old carpet in our upstairs hallway...

...and started to remove all the carpet from the stairs. 

So much under-carpet padding. bleh

The scary stairs...

But, it ended nicely- here is after the pergo is put down.

And now with doorway edger put in. Yay!

Picket Fence update

Hubs tore down all the original fence- and put up new back braces (he fixed that middle spot that was all weird)

So many pickets!

After the new back braces put up- he then re-put up each picket one at a time.

Pickets are now even across the top- however, since our yard is at an angle, there looks like a gap underneath- hence why we want flowers to go in front of the fence. lol.

With the spare old back braces from the old fencing hubs made this cute little plateform/deck to the barshed. Eventually we will paint it to match the shed

 De-weeding flower beds

I spent a good portion of a day de-weeding this flower bed and removing grass that had gotten into the bed. exhausting work.

but our flowers are so pretty!

Oh spring flowers!

Sadly though- the front porch looks a little pitiful till the bucket flowers bloom

Other happenings...

Oh, yeah- we also finally added a ladder to the loft in the barshed!

We cooked on the grill for the first time this season! 

We saw the newest Captain America Movie... 

I got back into tracking my diet and exercising more... 

... and Wendy continued to be cute.

I'm hoping to finish painting the fences all white, painting the stairs (once the staples are ripped out), finish redoing the dining room and possibly adding sheer curtains to the deck sunshade area- whenever I get the free time to do so. (I know, the ToDo list keeps growing). This weekend I'll be doing another "Once Upon a Time" at Barnes & Noble with some friends (aka- a lot of us dressing up as storybook characters and reading to kids), as well as a girls crafty night on Saturday. I'll have to share some crafty projects later too (along with what I finished during the Stampin' Up! weekend getaway with my mom, which I still have neglected to share with ya'll.).

May the todo list keep growing and projects keep getting done to check off that list. lol
Have a great day!
-M

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Favorites Friday: Getting back into shape and eatting better

It's been a while since I popped by the blog-o here (sorry about that)- I've been swamped with DIY projects at home (which I'll share eventually), work and actually trying to work-out (exercise)- gasp! With that in mind, here are some favorites of mine, especially the 3 apps I use on my 3 times a week (for now) runs.

1. Map My Run App: I love this app! It uses the GPS on my phone to show where I've run, my pace, calories burned, milage, etc. I also love how versatile it is- especially that I can close it after I start my run, and not have to open it back up till I finish my run. perfect!

2. Rock My Run App: This app gives some great music to run to- you can pick style of music, length, or if you're a more seasoned exerciser- the beats to keep your pace. So far, it has kept me rocking as I run. lol.

3. Uno's Rattlesnake Pasta: Last week we went to Uno's after seeing the newest Captain America movie with friends, and I ordered this pasta dish. It was right up my ally- just enough spice to fill my love of spicy dishes, as well as plentiful enough that I had leftovers for lunch the next day.

4. 5K Runner App: This app (aka. Couch-to-5k) has been getting me back into the swing of running after not really exercising at all for a while. I have been going slightly further than it suggests, but overall it is good coach to have along your running. My only beef with this app is if you accidentally close it, it only gives you notifications on the screen (but no sound notifications- which when you're running and jamming to music, you're not looking at your phone) and then you re-open it after closing it- it restarts the program from the beginning. But overall, its a good starting point for new runners.

5. Snack Factory's Pretzel Crisps: My mom got me hooked on these pretzel crisps. I personally LOVE the multigrain, but since my hubs is allergic to garlic (I know, crazy!) the original is our best bet in our house. They are so addicting but also great with cheese or hummus. I suggest it to anyone (I just picked up a few bags yesterday at Wal-mart for $2 each!)

I hope your weekend is a fun one- I personally hope the weather is nice, as I'm loving spending time outside!
-M

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Easy tasty Weight Watchers friendly Fruit Smoothie

Sorry I've been a little MIA recently- work has been CRAZY, and I was on vacation with my mom to a Stampin' Up! getaway (I'll share the projects from that later). In the meantime, I'll show you a recipe of a smoothie I've been loving lately.
I've been trying to get back on the wagon of Weight Watchers to try and loose the holiday weight and get back down to my goal weight. The hardest thing I've always found with Weight Watchers is getting enough fruit in my diet. The other night I was craving a smoothie, so I decided to try to concoct a very fruity smoothie that was Weight Watchers friendly- the lower the points the better.

I  made this smoothie filled with lots of fruit, as to get just the right amount of fruit needed per day. This smoothie is roughly 1 1/2 weight watchers points plus a smoothie (one blender makes 2 smoothies), so if you are really in a smoothie kick, it's only 3 weight watchers points plus for 2!
This past week I think I've had a smoothie everyday after this, as I just can't get enough and it gets me my necessary fruit for the day. ;)
Enjoy this super easy and tasty fruit smoothie!

Mo's Fruity Fun Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of ice
• 2 bananas
• 4-6 oz (or 1 snack container) of Light Fit strawberry yogurt
• 1-1 1/2 cups of frozen mangoes
• 1/4 can (or 2.4 fl oz) Goya mango juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp orange extract

Directions:
Put all ingredients in a blender, blend for ice to be chopped well into smoothie. Pour into glass and tada!

1 blender full makes 2 smoothies at roughly 3 Weight Watchers Points Plus (depending on the yogurt and goya juice you use). It is super easy and tasty!
So I hope you all have a great day! I'm praying for more warm weather, so I can enjoy my smoothies outside. ;)
-M

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