Lessons Learned and other Weird Items

This bathroom remodel of mine has turned into a blogging goldmine.  Who knew?
With the previous posts of this, and this, and finally this..., it has kept my blog flowing.

This post is a list of all of the weird things and thoughts that have occurred to me during this adventure.

1.  At some point, I have had paint brushes and rollers wrapped in plastic wrap in my fridge.  FYI, it is a great way to keep your paint from drying while waiting for your coat to dry or you are done for the day.

2.  I designated an older t-shirt and yoga pants as my remodel outfit.  They have specks of paint on them and a little streak on the shoulder......Really?  If I had done something for just a second in a nice shirt, you know darn well that it would of been covered in paint, but because I didn't care, clean as a whistle.

3.  I really, really, really missed my bathroom door while it was off it hinges.

4.  My dogs would not go under the blanket I had hung in lieu of a door but will push a half closed door open to visit you in the bathroom.

5.  The painting area of my local Home Depot now asks me what the idiots have done now whenever I am in there.....

6.  It turns out I am a really clean painter.  All of the preventative covering had only a few drops of paint on them.

7.  Prep work really is the devil.  Forget the idea of flames and burning for Hell...it is prep work.

8.  Put some quick to heat dinners in the freezer ahead of time.  I can not tell you how many days at 8:30 pm, I realized that not only had I not started to prepare dinner, I did not even have an idea what to cook.

9.  Be prepared for sore muscles.  You are going to use your body in weird ways.  Even if you workout, you are going to do something that is out of the ordinary that leaves you sore.

10.  Have a plan on how long the project is going to take, but if you are like me and fitting this in on the weekend and after or before work, be flexible and do not freak out if it takes longer.

11.  During the wallpaper take down, I got ridiculously excited when a piece about 2 inches by 8 inches came off at once....both layers.  (I need help..)

12.  If you live in the Salt Lake area and need a mirror or glass cut, Sugarhouse Glass on 21st South will cut it for you for $5 per cut.  WAY cheaper than any other place I called.

13.  I ended up with the door off the hinges longer than I intended due to the fact that it was easier to work in the relatively small space and I got better ventilation with it off.  Shy people need not visit during remodeling......

14.  Whatever your budget, add $50 to it.  I forgot to add in new towel racks and such..  Give yourself a cushion.

15.  I have gotten absurdly good at applying spackling.

16.  Painting a ceiling is not fun....get the extension rod and still be prepared for a sore neck.

17.  When painting a ceiling, even with my extension rod, apparently the only way I can get an even coverage is backwards behind my head.  Backbends R Us...

18.  I know I am being a tease, but photos are coming....

19.  There has been an unexpected surprise that has ended the project before I thought it would.

Finally cleaning up...
Melissa

One Size Fits All?

If you have been following this blog, you know that I have been leaning off the edge of the health and fitness wagon and am working on getting back in the saddle.  One of the benefits of getting a little older is that you know your body a bit better, so you hopefully know what works for you....

For me,
Diet Cokes have to be gone.  When I drink them, my lower abdomen gets immediately puffy.  When I eliminate them from my diet, it goes away.  I have noticed this time on Diet Cokes, the sugar rush and resulting crash.  The puffiness, alone is worth getting off Diet Coke, but the rush/crash cycle is what has me motivated to get off them this time.  I think my body is realizing this is (FINGERS CROSSED) the last time Diet Cokes are around, so it is RESISTING big time.  I will make it, but it is taking some time.

Next for me, the more natural and less processed the better.  I have found that I can even have desserts in moderation, if they are homemade.  My body does not react well to the preservatives and chemicals.

And finally for me, movement....  A mixture of high and low impact cardio and yoga seems to work the best.

Now, you will notice that at the beginning I said for me...
there is a reason behind this.

My friends and I have been having conversations about diet and exercise lately and we have noticed a common theme,
One size (or diet or exercise plan) does not fit all...

but there are a few common ideas that do.  We call them the 4 M's.

1. Moderation.  No matter what you eat moderation is the key.

2. Movement.  Find what works for you and have some fun.

3. Mindfulness.  Be aware of your diet, movement and your thoughts.

4. Mind your Own Business.  What works wonders for you may be a nightmare for someone else.  For example, a vegan diet is a nightmare for me, due to the fact that a lot of the protein sources come from nuts and I have a massive issue with most nuts. (They trigger massive Migraine headaches)  However, if it works for you, I am happy and pleased for you.  Please do not judge or condemn a person for the diet and workout regiment they have chosen.  This also applies for exercise--Running is a favorite of mine for cardio and I toned up and got in shape faster with it than with any other exercise program.  One of my good friends would rather face her worst nightmare than go for a run, and that's fine by me.....

Notice that the Mind Your Own Business is the one with the most info on it.  My friends and I got into an almost fight before we realized this one was the most important one.  Losing weight is hard enough as it is and if a person has recognized that they need to lose weight, and trust me on this one, they know they are not looking their best, so any condemnation or criticism is going to hit deep and hard.  If they ask for help that is one thing and even then, be kind.  But for the most part, just encourage and celebrate their new choices and changes in their life.

I saw a quote the other day that sums up how I am approaching life lately...

Be firm on your goals,
But flexible on how you get there.

Making progress,
Melissa