#StapKitchenReno - Update #2

Well, it might not mean checking several items off the list, but we (Chris) did knock a pretty big one off the list!  We said adios to the partition wall between the kitchen and dining room and it is amazing how much bigger the space feels now!  It is also a lot brighter now that the big dining room window is a part of the new kitchen space.  Since the kitchen is on the East side of the house, any additional natural light come the afternoon is much appreciated!

#StapKitchenReno

As you may have gathered from the title of this post, our kitchen renovation is off and running!  We have a lot to do in a relatively short amount of time because we made the silly decision to finish it in time for a big veggie potluck group dinner we are hosting at the end of August!  Crazy?!  Probably, but it will also push us to get as much done as we possibly can before then!  Fingers crossed that our dinner guests don't have to wear hard hats when entering our house come August!

Since we all know renovation updates are not my forte (understatement of the year!), feel free to click on the Latest Adventures tab above for quick photo updates as we go through this renovation. #stapkitchenreno

Here's a little sneak peek into what we need to accomplish in this space...

• Remove partition wall between dining room and kitchen
• Dismantle existing kitchen cabinets & island
• Remove dishwasher, range and microwave (and sell!)
• Remove tile flooring in dining room
• Remove and/or reroute electrical from partition wall
• Assemble new kitchen cabinets (yay, one down!)
• Have wood floors extended and refinished
• Repair drywall on ceiling and wall from wall removal
• Install new cabinets, hardware, drawers and doors
• Have new countertops installed
• Install new sink & appliances
• Install hood over new cooktop
• Tile wall above sink & cooktop
• Put toe kicks, moulding, and other finishing touches on the space.

I love how simple it all sounds!  Ha!  I am sure we are in for some surprises on this renovation.  But I am so excited to see how it turns out!

The Power of Fresh Air Makes for A Lovely Weekend

This past weekend -- simple as it was -- really filled my bucket, as my niece would say. It started with a spontaneous call from Chris on my way home from work on Friday, asking if I fancied happy hour at local, authentic little British pub.  There was no arm twisting needed here, so we met up and sat in the pub garden in the sunshine, grateful for the consistent, cool breeze.

Can't We All Just Get Along?!

{ Disclaimer: this post is likely to turn into a rant halfway through. consider yourself warned. }

Over the past few years I have spent a fair amount of time in doctors offices.  Always wanting them to help me, trusting that they knew what they were doing, and not really questioning whether our individual visions for optimal health actually aligned.

I finally - on a whim - scheduled an appointment with a naturopathic physician who specialized in inflammation.  I figured it couldn't hurt anything (aside from my bank account!) to try it and see if she had a different take on my health.  My paranoia around prescription medication aside, she spent an hour and a half with me going over every detail of my health as far back as I could remember.

After she ordered a few additional tests, she smiled at me and told me that she had no doubt that she would be able to get to the bottom of what was ailing me.  A simple, kind sentence. But hearing those words were extremely encouraging, especially for someone who had only gotten "best guess" diagnoses for the past several years.

The results of those blood tests confirmed all three of her suspicions.  I was suffering from adrenal fatigue and I tested positive for both a gene mutation, known as MTHFR, and the least likely: Lyme Disease.

My Contribution

Every once in a while (okay, it's actually much more often than that), I stumble upon a source of inspiration that seems like it was made just for me to find.  And I have to admit, I love that.  I love finding things that speak to me, that get me thinking, push me out of my comfort zone or remind me to return to a more intentional life.