A lot has happened since my last entry.  We are still in the renovation process but now I am working on my own renovation.  With each of my children I gained weight but I always had this notion that I would lose it eventually.  Well eventually never came.  After my fourth child I was the heaviest I had EVER been and NEVER thought I would weigh over 200 lbs in my life.  200lbs.!!! I was so discouraged.  I had been raised with a mom who was ALWAYS on me for my weight.  It came so easy for her.  She would count calories every day and weighed  110 lbs.  which she engrained in me that that is what I should weigh.  She had good intentions but the way she executed was horrible!  She put so much emphasis on my looks that I had zero self esteem.  I was always worried about my looks and NEVER felt good about myself no matter what I weighed.  I had been very active in my 20's and just assumed that I could lose the weight on my own with no problem.  I had tried Weight
Watchers and failed.  The program was great and it worked BUT I did not want to have to keep track of points all day and what I ate. And so I didn't.  By the time nighttime came around, I couldn't even remember what I had for breakfast.  A good friend of mine convinced me to join the gym with her.  She had lost 100lbs on her own and so I figured if she could do it so could I.  I loved the gym! It gave me that social interaction that I needed and I gained some great friends.  Well, I continued to go to the gym up until I was 8 months pregnant with my fourth child.  After she was born I struggle SO much! I wanted to go to the gym but had no time let alone the motivation to go.  I just used my kids as an excuse not to go.  I had also lost all my baby weight so I figured EVENTUALLY I could lose the rest.  Slowly I began to sink into a dark hole I that I was struggling to get out of.  Every day I would wake up with the thought "today I am going to do better.  I am going to eat better and start exercising."  That never happened.  I had zero energy! All I wanted to do was sleep.  So I did.  I would get the older kids off to school and at the time, my husband worked swings, so as soon as he would wake up, I would go back to bed for 3 hours until he had to leave for work.  I would then get up to take care of the two children we had at home.  I would feed them lunch and get them down for their afternoon naps and then...yes I would take a nap. 

I was talking to a friend one day and expressing my frustration.  She mentioned that after having a baby some women experience problems with their thyroid so I should get it checked.  I thought "yes! that must be it." If it was my thyroid and I got on medication I would lose all the weight and things would be good again. Right? Ha! I did go in and have my thyroid checked and everything else that could check.  My thyroid was ok but I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and I was pre-diabetic.  The doctor sat me down and went over the test results with me and was pretty frank.  He told me that I was overweight and needed to lose weight.  He told me that he wanted me to lose 10lbs.  in the next three months.  He was encouraging and told me I could do it.  10 lbs. in 3 months was doable. He told me he wanted me to come back in and we would run the tests again.  Well, I went home with a new determination to lose 10lbs.  That only lasted a couple days.  That was July of 2016.

May 2017 rolled around and I still had not lost the 10lbs I needed to.  In fact, I had actually gained 10+ lbs.  At the time I had a friend who suddenly started losing weight.  She had lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time.  I thought it was probably just another fad diet or something.  She told me a little bit about the program she was doing and explained that she got to eat brownies every night and that she loved the food.  I was very intrigued but also figured it wouldn't work for me because it was probably too expensive or I wouldn't like the food.  I watched her for a few months and one day she posted her before and after photo on Facebook.  WOW! She looked amazing! She had lost over 40lbs.!  I was sold.  I asked her to call me and explain the program.  She explained that it was a health and wellness program and that it focused on overall health not just weight loss.

 

October 2017 and I am now down 40lbs.!  NEVER in a million years did I think I could lose weight on my own let alone that much weight in such a short time.  I did it! It didn't take will power either.  It just took desire, consistency, and a "why".  The biggest thing I have gained over the last 6 months is Self-Esteem.  I feel so good about myself! I have a new excitement for life and I am excited for the future.  I wake up every morning and I can honestly say I look in the mirror and like what I see.  That hasn't ever happened.  NEVER.  I now have become a health coach and I have the opportunity to help others see their own dreams come true. It has been so inspiring to hear other people's stories and see them overcome struggles they have and find the same happiness I have found.

www.choosehealthfirst.tsfl.com

DIY Vintage Porch Ladder

 As I drive around different neighborhoods I love to see how people decorate their porches.  I have seen so many cute decorative ladders with the different decorations for each season. I thought it would be neat to have one of my own.  The only thing is...I didn't want one like everyone else had.  I saw a post on pinterest of the cutest decorated porch for Halloween and did my own spin off of it.  Here is the link to the one that first gave me the idea: https://www.pinterest.com/source/ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com/
I love this porch! I looked everywhere for an old vintage ladder and had no luck.  Luckily I have a very handy husband and so we made our own.  We went to Lowes and bought some birch wood that we liked. I think it came to about $16.00.  For the medal bracket looking things we just cut them from an old V8 juice can and nailed them on.  Here are some different pictures for the last few holidays.  I just went to Walmart and bought the wood letters and ribbon I wanted and spent a $1 on some craft paint.  To attach the ribbon I used Velcro that I found in the sewing department to make it easy to take them on and off the rails. 
I love how versatile this ladder is! I am excited that I can use it all year round!

 For the Boo sign I just cut pieces of cardboard into squares and covered it with burlap.

I used a stencil I found at Walmart in the craft area for the letters. 

To apply the black paint I used a sponge paint brush.

Accessory Dwelling Unit? What is it and what are the benefits?

What in the world is an Accessory Dwelling Unit you ask?

There was recently an article written in our local newspaper about the new ordinance that we are trying to get our city to pass. The article made me furious! The reporter wrote about the concerns people had, but did not mention any of the benefits the new ordinance would provide. So for anyone who wants to know, here is what we are trying to get the city to approve and what I have researched and found out about Accessory Dwelling Units.
Accessory Dwelling Units may be located inside of or attached to a single family dwelling, or in a detached structure like a garage. The accessory dwelling unit must be a complete housekeeping unit with an entrance, kitchen, sleeping area, closet space, and bathroom facility.

Development of accessory dwelling units can be traced back to the early twentieth century, when they were a common feature in single-family housing. After World War II, an increased demand for housing led to a boom­ing suburban population. Characterized by large lots and an emphasis on the nuclear family, suburban devel­opment conformed to Euclidean-type zoning codes, a system of land-use regulations that segregate districts according to use. Accessory Dwelling Units have become an important component of the housing stock in many communities-both large and small-in the United States.
We explained to the city that we feel that this would be a great benefit to the residents of North Ogden. It would allow families to stay together and not have to move out of the area because they cannot afford the living expenses. By providing housing on existing lots in developed neighborhoods, ADUs provide more housing units, and options for housing, where the roads and utilities already exist.We had a public meeting to talk about this ordinance and there were several residents that came. When we were done the majority of those who came were in favor of this ordinance. In fact, one man shared that he wished they would have known about this ordinance because he and his wife just had to sell their home and move to a different city because their home was to much for them to keep up with.
Accessory dwelling units offer a variety of benefits to com­munities. They help increase a community’s housing supply, and since they cost less than a new single-family home on a separate lot, they are an affordable housing option for many low- and moderate-income residents. Elderly and/or disabled persons who may want to live close to family members or caregivers, and empty nesters, find ADUs convenient and affordable.

Accessory dwelling units have other advantages as well. They can be designed to blend in with the surrounding architecture, maintaining compatibility with established neighborhoods and preserving community character. Furthermore, there is no need to develop new infrastruc­ture, since ADUs can be connected to the existing utilities of a primary dwelling. Allowing ADUs facilitates efficient use of existing housing stock, helps meet the demand for housing, and offers an alternative to major zoning changes that can significantly alter neighborhoods. They can also prevent the proliferation of rental dwellings, absentee ownership, property disinvestment, building code violations, and associated decline in quality of single-family residential neighborhoods.

In doing the research, I found several communities that already have this ordinance in place or are in the process of writing up the ordinance to allow accessory dwelling units in their city's. 

In the American Planning Association's September/October newsletter, they discussed the need for more Accessory Dwelling Units and the benefits of them.

Homemade Diaper Rash Cream

My daughter had a really bad diaper rash that would not go away using the usual ointments so I gave our Pediatrician a call.  He told me to try mixing Mylanta and Aquaphor into a paste and spread it on the rash.  I thought it was very odd, but it works! I obviously used the generic Walmart brand, but the ingredients and amounts were the same as the name brand.  I just bought a travel size shampoo bottle to put it in so it would be easier.  I have noticed a difference in the short time I have been using it. It is a little runny when I put it on, but I just make sure to have the clean diaper underneath her so there isn't a big mess. :)

Ready Set GO!

It is a new year and I am hoping to be better at keeping up this blog. I know, I know, everyone says that, but hopefully I really can.  So it is now 2014 and we are so excited for the adventures ahead! We finally got the go ahead from the Planning Commission. Yay! We now have one more meeting with the City Council and hopefully they will pass the ordinance.  If not, I have no idea what we will do.
The loan was finally processed for the purchase of the home last month and we are now in the construction phase.  The insulation and drywall is done in the Accessory Dwelling Unit (AKA inlaws place).  The next step will be to paint, tile, install the kitchen cabinets, finish the bathroom and install carpet. It sounds like alot, but it is going fast. Hopefully! It is just so weird to see walls up. It's exciting to see the progress.  Meanwhile, in the main house, the kitchen cabinets are ordered and we are currently working on converting the garage into two bedrooms for the kids. 

Here are some pictures of the In-Laws place.

BEFORE

AFTER

 

More pictures to come

No Stone Unturned!

I am writing this post for anyone who might need this information in the future. I also want to share our experience with you because I now have a greater appreciation for all those people who have had to go through their city leaders to get an ordinance passed.  We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into!

This past week I have called several city planners hoping to get more information regarding Accessory Dwelling Units.  I have received so much help from other city officials and cannot express enough how much I appreciate everyone I have talked to and for the information they have given me.  It is amazing to me how many cities actually have ordinances already in place to allow Accessory Dwelling Units.  In fact I talked to Michael Maloy, who is the City Planner for Salt Lake City and he mentioned that when he first started researching ADU's he thought they were on the cutting edge and were starting something new.  He was shocked to see just how many cities already had the ordinance in place not only in Utah but several other states have adopted them too.  I have talked to so many people that have mentioned what a great idea this is.  One person I talked to has a mother who is currently in a nursing home and she has to go visit her 3 times a day to make sure she is getting the proper care she needs.  Not only that, but it is costing her over $3000.00 a month to keep her there!  She mentioned how nice it would be to be able to have her mother close so she could take better care of her.

The thing that urks me the most, is the fact that I have had to do all this research myself! I already gave the City Planner information about Accessory Dwelling Units but he didn't even research them himself.  Well, I have over 100 pages which I have printed out that include other cities that have adopted ADU's, documents from AARP and the American Planning Association, and other resources I have been given from other city leaders supporting Accessory Dwelling Units.  I didn't want to leave any stone unturned!

We have another meeting with the Planning Commission this coming week so hopefully all the documentation I have given them will show them just how important this ordinance is not only for us personally but for other people in the future.

Is it Better to Ask Permission or Forgiveness?

I can't even begin to tell you how difficult this past six months have been.  In February of 2012 we had my in-laws over for dinner and the discussion turned to future plans and retirement.  My father-in-law mentioned that they were going to have to put their house on the market because of financial difficulties.
In 2007, they had build a garage/apartment in the back of their property in hopes of living in it and having someone move into their current home. At the time the garage/apartment was passed off by the city inspector, he told my in-laws they could not live in it.  They were told that two homes could not be on the same property.  They became discouraged and never finished the inside.  
The discussion then took another turn and we began to discuss the possibility of my husband and I purchasing their home so they could retire.   Well to give you a little background, my husband who is very in tune with the Spirit, had talked about this very thing with me after we had been married for about 5 years. Never in a million years did I really think it would happen! After talking to his parents they became very excited with the possibility of being able to still live on their property but be able to enjoy retirement.  We all prayed about it and felt good about the decision.  The plan was, to sell our home and purchase their home for what they owed and also finance the finish work on the new place. 
For the next couple months, we worked tirelessly to get our home ready to sell.  We put our home on the market at the end of June and it sold in 14 days. Crazy!  

The Home We Sold

Well being the good citizens that we are, we went to the city to make sure this was going to be alright.  Well that was a mistake!  It is now October and we are living in a two bedroom apartment with our 3 kids.  We thought we would be done and moved in by the end of September. 

The proposed Accessory Dwelling Unit

We met with the planning commission in September and were told that we needed to petition them with an ordinance to allow two dwellings on the same property.  We did some research and found several city's that allow Accessory Dwelling Units. 

Accessory Dwelling Units may be located inside of or attached to a single family dwelling, or in a detached structure like a garage.  The accessory dwelling unit must be a complete housekeeping unit with an entrance, kitchen, sleeping area, closet space, and bathroom facility.   

We were so excited thinking that the city would be excited for this proposal.  Boy were we wrong!  They just kept coming up with more and more concerns.  It is so frustrating having the fate of your future in someone else's hands. The biggest frustration for us has been the fact that we felt so strongly that this was what we needed to do.  We are trying to do something to help our family out and it isn't going the way we want.  

So, is it better to ask forgiveness than permission? Sometimes we wonder if we should
have just gone ahead and finished the second home and not even gone to the city. We know that the city does have laws and ordinances they need to follow but at what expense?

We have felt good about our decision and despite all the opposition,  know that things will work out for the best. Hopefully. ;)