A Funny Pic & Learned Something New

While we were out shopping at Costco yesterday spotted these 2 guys/gals? patiently waiting for their owner who was inside shopping. Had to snap a pic but I wasn't the only one taking pictures. By the time I got to take my pic, one of the two decided he was bored with the whole scene and turned his head away from the action. Oh and by the way he/she was sporting sunglasses too! Apparently the pair are regulars at Costco and get plenty of attention. I'm guessing no one will ever drive off with that truck! 

Pot Rack is now hung above the island and the stain on the granite still remains but not an eyesore. The island is working out really well for us and we are very happy with our purchase.

Still waiting to get my membership at the gym set up so stayed home today and managed to squeeze in some fitness time on my elliptical. 

But for the most part the next pic shows how most of my day was spent. One of the recommendations  of our Energy Audit was to insulate plugs & switches with these foamy things. Had some on hand so I got right to it. I had done this in our previous home but just on exterior wall plugs & switches. Found out yesterday that you should also do this on interior wall plugs & switches. The guy who conducted the audit explained why this should be done but he lost me at the physics of it all. I was never good in math but I trust that what he was saying made sense. 

Another tip/trick I learned was to save the foamy cutouts from the holes and attach them to baby safety plugs and stick them in outlets that aren't being used for added insulation. I never in a million years would have thought of that and would have tossed out the cutouts. It's always a Good Day when you learn something new! 

Snowy Day & Let The Renovations Begin!

It's a Snowy Day here again in Nova Scotia as you can see from my back deck. As the snow continues to fall, hubby is out there with the snow blower for the first time this morning but I'm sure it won't be the last. Need to keep on top it before it becomes impossible with our baby snow blower! 

As promised, here is a pic of my kitchen before it undergoes some much needed renovations. Actually it has already started! First day we were here, we took down the office type of vertical blind from the kitchen window and also removed the oak wood valance between the cupboards above the window. For the moment,  the patio door blinds which were the same as above the kitchen window will remain until we have a replacement.

And kitchen island is a new addition; found it on kijiji and picked it up yesterday. Has some stains on the granite which are not terrible and I can live with! But I am giving it a shot to remove them!  Tried a baking soda/ water paste and let it soak overnight. Waiting for the moisture to evaporate but the stains are still remaining. Any tried & true ideas as to how to remove the stains are most welcome!

Anyway here is a sneak peak at our plans for renovating the kitchen: plans include painting the cupboards, putting new hardware on the cupboards, installing new counter top and lighting fixtures, removing the office blind on the patio door & replacing with curtains, new appliances and installing some more shelving on the wall behind the island (not visible) and around the room. Also plan to hang our old pot rack above the island. Let the renovations begin!