Summer Bucket List 2013
In case you haven't heard of the idea, a summer bucket list is basically a list of things you want to get around to before summer "kicks the bucket". You can see last year's list right here.
Last year, I tried to make my list a mix of tasks and fun things, and this year will be the same. And probably a lot of things on the list will be repeats!
1. Roast marshmallows over a fire in our fire pit.
(partially because this is fun and partially because we have a big pile of branches that have fallen from our trees and they need to be used up!)
2. Paint my kitchen cabinets.
I had put this as a maybe on last summer's list, but this summer, I am committed. My worn, ugly cabinets are getting a facelift!
3. Arrange sleepovers.
These are sort of tough to do during the school year, so I want to make time for these while my kids and their friends aren't doing school.
4. Declutter my house from top to bottom.
Because I am so much busier during the school year, clutter and mess slowly build up in my house. So, in the summer I like to declutter and organize. That way when we start school in the fall, we're at least starting with a fairly clean slate.
5. Move Lisey into Zoe's room and move Zoe in with Sonia.
Zoe's had her own room for her whole life and Lisey has never had her own room, so we feel like it's time to switch things up. In conjunction with the move, I'm going to fill holes in the wall and repaint what is currently Zoe's room, so this is going to be sort of a big job.
(and it's very much the kind of thing that never would get done during the school year!)
6. Go to a u-pick farm at least one more time.
We already picked strawberries, but I think it would be fun to go pick cherries again like we did last year.
7. Go to the library every other week.
Keeping my kids reading is important to me all year long, but especially so in the summer, when they have more free time.
8. Make a baby book for Zoe.
Because I started getting into photography more when Zoe was a baby, I do have oodles of pictures of her (I broke the stereotype and took progressively more pictures of each baby!)
And I did scrapbook quite a few pictures of her first year. I never got around to doing pages about her birth or her first couple of months, though, and recently, she noticed that and seemed a little sad.
I'm not sure if I'll go the digital route or the traditional photos+paper route, but I'd like to do something for her. Maybe I'll check and see what she'd prefer.
9. Say yes to waterplay more than once a week.
Swimming, slip n' slide, and the sprinkler are all options.
10. Write to my grandpa once a month.
He doesn't do email. 😉
11. Possibly write a new ebook.
I have an idea, but I'm not sure if I'll have the time. We shall see.
12. Plan for next school year and order all of our books/supplies.
13. Eat some meals outside.
14. Do some serious baking with Lisey.
We got a little behind on that during the school year, so I'd like to make up for some lost time.
15. Redo the kids' chore lists.
16. Do some blog updating.
I'd like tinker with my About page, spruce up the FAQs, and so on.
I think that's good for now. If by some miracle I get around to all of this stuff before summer's over, then I can always add to the list. 😉
That's quite an ambitious list. Good luck.
I made a summer bucket list with the children this years, ours is filled with places they want to see. I really like one filled with projects though as I too have a bit more time on my hands in summer. I might just make one for that too!
I've always wondered how you decided which kids get which rooms. You posted about painting furniture in Zoe's room and I always thought she would share a room with Sonia since I thought they were pretty close in age. How often do you rotate?
Firstly, I love the new look of your blog. I really liked the old design too...I just think this updo is "marvy fab." 🙂 Secondly, how did Zoe take the news that she has to vacate her room? Is she excited about rooming with Sonia? Is Sonia excited? Will Sonia ever get a chance to have her own space? Husband & I are big proponents of having siblings share rooms. Eldest shared with her sister for years. We had the extra bedroom when we moved to a larger home but thought it best to keep them together for a long time.
Oh, do you mean the new look of the email subscriptions? I'm really happy with that too.
Zoe's known for the past year that we'd be moving her this spring, and she's pretty easy-going, so it hasn't bothered her.
Sonia...well, she'd love to have her own space, but given her personality tendencies, we actually think it wouldn't be that good for her to have her own room (Having to live with someone else stretches her in ways that are good for her.) I don't know what we'll do down the road, but for now, sharing is a good place for her to be.
In my whole life, I've never had my own room (I shared with my brother when I was a baby, shared with my sister for the rest of my life at home and then got married.) and I think I've been ok. =P
I'm actually surprised to hear that Zoe had her own room for so long. But I guess I've only seen the eldest have his/her own room. Did it work out this way because Zoe was the last in a crib?
This might be a very exciting thing for all three girls. Hopefully Sonia is looking forward to having another roommate 🙂
Yeah, it's because Zoe was the last one in the crib. It made sense to put her in her own room when she was a baby, because her sleep schedule was different than Sonia and Lisey's, and then we didn't get rid of the crib (it converted into a toddler bed) until just last year. So, switching wasn't even an option until then.
We figured we'd give Zoe a year to enjoy her new bed before sending her over to Sonia's room!
I made a new years resolution to print my digital pictures regularly and when I do I make some copies for my Mom and send them with her letters. Mom has never used a computer, so we will always write longhand and send snail mail. I still send hand-written letters to many people, even to those who do have computers. I smiled when I saw your promise to write to your Grandpa. 🙂 It won't be long before letter-writing is a lost art.
How fun for Lisey to have her own room, probably just at the time that she's wishing for a bit more privacy. My two girls (age 18 now, so not really girls any more) have shared a room their entire life. I gave them the option of separate rooms several years ago and they chose to continue to share.
For my bucket list, I actually have several lists. One for jobs that I want to get done ( have a landscaping project I'm working on, plus I want to redo the facade of our living room fireplace and inset some granite just in front of it for a woodstove),
another list of just fun family stuff (sitting out by the fire ring on weekend nights, a family vacation, visit nearby towns, museums and festivals, movie nights),
and a third list for things that we should do in preparation for my daughters beginning university in the fall (teach them to drive -- yikes!, have them get jobs to earn spending money/tuition money, things specifically that the university wants like vaccines/medical records/class registration).
My summer bucket list is to stop making new bucket lists and crack on with some of the items in my old bucket lists!
Ha! Well, that works.
Your old and worn cabinets look better than mine! So if you don't get to the painting job, really, it will be ok. 🙂 Make sure you plan some down-time for yourself.
Ditto! I think your cabinets look nice as is, Kristen.
Well, the main problem is that they're so old, the finish has worn off on the most-used ones, all the way down to the wood. So, no cleaning or polishing will make them look better.
I should have taken a picture of the really gnarly-looking ones (and I will before I paint them!)
RE: Painting your kitchen cabinets....
Our daughter Julia painted hers about six months ago. She followed the process used by John and Sherry Petersik in the blog Young House Love. Followed it to the letter, even using the recommended Benjamin Moore paint (intended for cabinetry), Sherry's favorite paintbrush (for the corners) and a foam roller. Have to admit I was skeptical as to how well it would work but the results were amazing and still look good. Highly recommend it!!
I'll definitely check that out-thanks!
Love this list. I wish I had a Slip N Slide.
I love these lists! Here's mine:
-take my son swimming at least once a week
-finish the kitchen in our weekend house
-clean off the porch on our weekend house (it is full of all the old junk from the kitchen reno)
-deep clean the city house
-rewrite a paper I wrote in college for my grad schhol ap
I think sharing is a good thing! I always had my own room because the sibling closest to me in age is 7 years older and a boy, so it didn't really work out. I think it would have helped me stay tidy and organized. My husband and I are sharing our room with our son, and we plan to until he's a year and a half or so!
I am an introvert and need a lot of private time. I found it agonizing when I had to share a bedroom because I never felt like I was away from someone else's clutter and noise. I'm feeling sympathy for Sonia!
I did scrap books for my kids. The boys did fine with the digital but my daughter was very disappointed not to have a tactile version. Her exact words were, "If digital were so superior, the Oscars would be a disk instead of a statute. Sometimes you just want to hold something." I am sure it depends on personality, but sounds like asking preference is a good idea.
Your cabinets look better than mine!
Oh, she's definitely not an introvert! If that were the case, I'd handle things differently.
I don't want to throw her under the bus out here in a public way, but just trust me when I say that learning to share and be more flexible and more others-focused are all things that need to be worked on. 🙂
Yeah, I like having something to hold. If I go the digital route, I mean that I'll use a service like My Publisher to make the book, and then they'll print it and mail it to me.
My bucket list is to make it through the next 4-5 months at work. The workload is getting brutal as the reality of being short a few people kicks in. If that doesn't change I might have to look for a new job, not something I enjoy.
I 100% sympathize here. The strange thing is we were bought a few years back and supposedly integrated to have much more support. In the end, every other department grew but I am basically on my own for IT support requests.
Ugh. You have my full sympathies!
I really, really, REALLY want to redo my kitchen. My problem is that my cabinets are actually still solid, they just are ugly and impractical. I have a hard time tearing out solid cabinets from 1968 only to be replaced with particle board from Ikea. My hope is that this year we can paint our cabinets, put fancy paper in the drawers, install some pull out hardware to make things more functional and replace our horrible, too small sink and the el-cheapo faucet that the previous owners installed backward.
Mine are solid too...pretty much 100% wood. So painting seems like a good solution. I'll let you know how it goes!
Sounds good! I know Rustoleum makes a cabinet painting system but it's very pricey.
My parents on the other hand have 70s particle board cabinets that are quite literally falling apart. I think that might be more of a DIY project for me to learn.
I would definitely reccomend replacing your too small sink and cheap faucet. We did ours last summer and I love it. The whole project only took about half of a day and it really makes the kitchen look so much nicer. All together it cost a couple hundred dollars, but it looks great and is so much easier to wash big pots now.
Looks like a good list to me. I guess I should get on my list! I've started one, so I need to get to work on it! I look forward to seeing how much you get done.
We are creating a bucket list this summer too. We were listening to the radio one day and the DJ was talking about his bucket list. My nine-year old son piped up and said, "if I had a bucket list, going to Six Flags would be on it."- Ping! The idea for a summer bucket list was born!
My kids always complain at the end of the summer that they didn't do anything fun. So this year, we are going to cut out beach bucket shapes and write down what we want to do (within reason) and stick them on the wall next to our monthly family calendar. We will work on a scrapbook together as the summer goes along to document our adventures. Creating a family scrapbook is on the bucket list already -win/win!
I can even beef up the excitement my including activities that I secretly know that we are going to do like going to a children's museum and camping.
I didn't even think about creating a bucket list for the things I want to accomplish. De-clutter the house sounds like a good one to me.
I saw that a previous commenter recommended checking Young House Love for cabinet painting tips as well, but I want to second the advice. 🙂 (http://www.younghouselove.com/2012/01/how-to-paint-your-cabinets-aka-hallelujah/)
I just painted our cabinets this spring and followed their tips, used the Benjamin Moore Advance paint (which is pricey - about $50/gallon) and brush/foam roller combo and they turned out beautifully! You will probably hate the very sight of a foam roller by the time that you're finished, but it is absolutely worth it. It took me about two weeks start to finish plus a few days to cure before reinstalling because I was only working during my toddler's (gloriously consistent and long) naptimes, but you can probably pare that down to about a week. The Advance paint requires about 16 hours between coats, which is why it takes so long.
A few years ago I painted our bathroom vanity just using Behr paint and while I was fine with the finish at the time, you can see a lot of brush strokes and it just doesn't look as smooth and professional . Seeing the difference between BM Advance and Behr is like night and day - the extra money for the Advance paint is so worth it!
Thanks for the inspiration. I have to list down mine too. We {I meant my husband} just finished painting our kitchen cabinets white and we LOVE them. It brighten up the kitchen so much and make it looks bigger. Go Kristen!
I love the new look of your blog! The idea of summer bucket list is a great idea. I will have to come up with my own list and of course credit you with the idea!
Hi Kristen!
My husband is a painting contractor and always produces beautiful results. As soon as I can tear him away from the project he's got going in the garage, I'll show him your photo and pick his brain for advice. Be back soon!
Okay, he's talking while I'm typing.
First, consider replacing your hinges with concealed hinges to really update the look of your kitchen. This is a bit pricey, but well worth it. Look online for deals, particularly on "Blum" concealed hinges. You should also purchase a jig to match the new hinges, so your holes will be perfect and you will retain your sanity. (He suggests Rockler's Woodworking.)
Start by marking all cabinet doors and drawer fronts as you remove them so you get them back in the right order. BTW, don't do the insides of the cabinets or drawers unless you absolutely have to.
Wash everything with TSP.
Spackle all holes and imperfections in the cabinets. (He recommends Crawford's Vinyl Spackling Paste.)
Sand everything with 180 grit sandpaper. He says to use a sanding block and keep it flat, but I know you are onto that technique.
He likes Bin White Pigmented Shellac by Zinsser for your primer coat.
Let dry at least overnight and then sand lightly with blocks. You can use a sanding sponge on the door insets if they are curved.
Next, caulk the inset panels of the doors where the inset panel meets the door frame. This eliminates shadowing and makes it look like a higher quality door.
For the actual paint application, he recommends brushing the frames and spraying the cabinet doors and drawers. Even if you have to rent a sprayer, the results are so superior to brushing that it's worth every penny. It also goes much faster than brushing or rollers. (In fact, he emphatically states as I'm pecking away that you do NOT want to roll the cabinets. He asked me to repeat this for emphasis. Rollers, even foam ones, tend to create an unattractive stipple effect.)
As to the actual paint, he likes the Benjamin Moore Advance Waterborne Interior Alkyd, which is designed for cabinets. Expensive, but worth it.
Follow manufacturer's directions and you've got it made.
I know this sounds like a lot of work and some of the supplies are pricey, but the right materials and methods will make your project look professional and the results will last for years.
Now, for comic relief, he just asked me if you have kids. Then he asked if you use your kitchen a lot. Upon hearing the answers, he rolled his eyes and said "I wouldn't paint then, I'd re-stain them another color instead." If you decide to go with this option, he likes Minwax products.
Are you tired yet? Want to move this to next year's bucket list? I could certainly understand if you did. However, I'm still going to send this, in hopes that it helps someone, somewhere, sometime.
Kind regards,
Diane and Lance
Excellent-thank you!
We're planning on doing invisible hinges...we priced them and they're actually the same price as the exposed hinges (they need to be replaced either way, because the finish is worn and the style is such that spray painting doesn't hold up.)
And yes, I am SO not rolling my cabinets. I'm not into the stippled look.
I knew I wanted to clean the cabinets but wasn't sure what to use, so I'll pick up some TSP-thank you.
The caulking hadn't occurred to me at all, but I'll give it a try.
Kristen, I hate to disagree with Diane's husband but my daughter used the small foam rollers with the BM Advance paint (as described in Young House Love and Marisa above) and there was NO stippling...and NO brush marks... on her cabinets anywhere. Smooth as glass. They were gorgeous and still are!
Hi Barb,
Thanks for the input! I asked my husband about this and he said that his advice is specifically for Kristen's cabinets, based on her photo and his thirty years experience. He also points out (politely, of course) that brush marks and roller marks are two different things and neither of them is good on cabinets. He's guessing that your daughter's cabinets may have been different and stands by his advice for Kristen.
He hopes Kristen is as happy with her results as you are with your daughter's. Nice to see that we all agree on the paint, too!
Kind regards,
Diane and Lance
I am so sorry, Diane! I really did not mean to call your husband's credentials into question, only meant to point out that stippling was not inevitable. Perhaps it is the cabinetry that is different, though my daughter's looks a lot like Kristen's!
Regards to your husband...I'm sure he knows his stuff! And I am sure Kristen will do a great job on the cabinets! 🙂
Looks like you are in for one busy summer. You have managed to factor some fun times in between the work.
Kristen, what would I do without you and your blog? When energy wanes and motivation dips, I read a post like this and think... just do it, already. Make a start, get listing! Thank you!
Hey Kristen and BarbaraB,
There's no reply button under BB's last post, so I thought I'd start fresh...
We have been in escrow to purchase a short sale since January. In the meantime, while we wait and pray for the final green light, we have looked at scores of houses. I will add that we are in a high COLA and are looking in the up-to-$1MM range (gasp!). We have seen a number of horrifyingly bad paint jobs. Even in this price range, people try to cut corners by doing it themselves and doing it badly.
As your daughter's results and Kristen's research show, it pays to take the time to do your homework and do it right. That's why hubby was so willing to take the time to spell out the steps. If it helps one person avoid a DIY disaster, it's worth it.
Funny side note: Early in our search, I called him about a home I'd previewed, saying he needed to come see it right away. He walked in, turned around slowly and said, "Honey, I couldn't live here. There's not a single straight line in this house." And that was before he'd set foot into the badly painted kitchen. LOL, I've learned a lot from him in this house-hunting process.