Categories
McUpdate Personal

Extreme Makeover: Bathroom Edition

We recently decided (on a whim) to improve the hallway bathroom a bit. I know, we’re always doing something! It’s bad. We need to change. Pace & I decided that we won’t do any home improvements in the year 2012. We’ll see how that actually pans out. (It’s just so tempting when your husband is not only good-looking, but also very handy & can use his manly skills to execute these projects.)

But anyway, back to the subject of the hallway bathroom. The vanity was falling apart, and Charlotte couldn’t turn on the tricky faucet for the life of her, even with my teaching & encouragement. So I always had to go turn it on for her, or lift her up to whatever sink was closeby (not ideal with my large belly), or otherwise she’d just go on her way with dirty hands…

Something needed to change.

Here are 2 photos of our bathroom BEFORE:

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Of course, we couldn’t simply replace the vanity & faucet that needed replacing… That would be too easy. So Pace dutifully painted the walls & baseboards while I cheered him on. He also volunteered his dad’s talents & had him replace the linoleum floor with some beautiful tile that I’d selected at Home Depot. Pace helped his Dad out, so they had some priceless bonding time. Jim LOVED coming down to our house several days in a row (haha right, Jim?!?!).

Luckily our bathrooms are TINY, so the whole project was quite inexpensive. In case you wondered about that.

Now, here are the BEFORE & AFTER pictures next to each other:

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The vanity is just a cheap one from Home Depot, but it’s perfectly great! The sink/counter is all seamless & very easy to wipe down. Yay! (We still need to get a toilet paper holder thing.)

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I can’t even describe how nice the tile floor is. It seems so elegant compared to the linoleum that was there before. Thanks to Jim & Pace for the beautiful tile job (& Gretchen for letting us have her husband here helping us so much)!

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AND, Charlotte is thrilled that she can turn on the faucet now. She washes her own hands. Mission (thoroughly) accomplished!

Categories
Deals

Free Membership

I work at a cool place, we are always doing research on how people act and respond and communicate and stuff. The most recent book we published is called Change Anything and it covers how to setup the world around you to increase your chances of creating lasting change. There is a website that goes with it to help personalize the stuff taught in it. I would like to give all McBlog readers and their friends a free year of Premium membership to ChangeAnything.com.

  1. Visit changeanything.com
  2. Put in your email and expand the coupon code box
  3. Enter PMCCULLOCH in the coupon code box
  4. Hit GO
  5. You’re welcome

Let me know what you think and if it helps you.

Categories
Charlotte Chase Family Fun

Whatta Melon Pops!

Tonight we enjoyed some homemade watermelon popsicles in our backyard with Jessica (my sis) & her husband, Casey.

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Summertime at its best! (Especially with the kids in pajamas even though it practically looks like it’s still noon outside!)

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Chase saw the idea for these “Whatta Melon Pops” in a Disney Family Fun magazine during one of my dr. appointments a couple weeks ago & was dying to make them. I found the recipe online, & we finally made the popsicles today.

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Chase is always thrilled when we do projects, crafts, or recipes… Especially anything that was his own brilliant idea!

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…And here are a couple of cheesy family pics. Jess made me get in some of the pictures, too. Smile

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We love summertime!

Categories
Charlotte Chase Chase Adventures Family Fun

Beach Day

This is my last California post!

Our beach outing was wonderful! It wasn’t cold or windy, so it was just perfect. And the overcast skies made the shadow-free pictures so easy & fun to take. I love the photos I was able to get (despite not having the skills)!

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Chase & Charlotte were so very busy & happy at the beach (until the very end, when Chase had some sort of awful stomach cramp & tantrum rolled into one & we just had to book it outta there… But we won’t dwell on that).

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The huge pile of seaweed was disgustingly fascinating.

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Chase constructed a “water obstacle course” in the sand.

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Charlotte collected treasures.

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Grandma had a cold, but was a good sport & still had fun!

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Quite the collection of beach treasures.

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I love these two photos of Charlotte.

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Afterwards, we stopped by the notorious pink & white striped shop. I’d never been inside! Chase was still throwing a wild fit & screaming in the car, so I left my long-suffering mother with him while Charlotte & I went in to check out the whimsical little shop.

I was amazed by the variety of unique salt water taffy flavors they had there: Buttered Popcorn, Pomegranate, Birthday Cake, & Root Beer Float, to name a few! I bought salt water taffy, some little polished rocks, shark teeth for Chase, & a bracelet/necklace thing for Charlotte. Yes, my kids are spoiled. I’m working on it…

Charlotte wouldn’t take her eyes off of her bracelet for a quick photo! You just can’t separate this girl from her jewelry.

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Categories
Family Fun

Visiting with Family & Friends “Back Home”

During our stay, I got to meet up with Elisa, my running buddy from high school! We kept each other in line & motivated during our years of track & cross-country. On those long runs we’d chat about boys, teachers, & school… & we’d also make up some really awesome songs to pass the time.

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Charlotte kept us all entertained while we were out at the park (Chase was at his friends’ house). Charlotte really loves to run, and it looks so cute & funny to me when she does. Maybe she’ll be a runner someday!

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Cousin Sarah’s bridal shower (below: sister Rachel, cousin Sarah, & friend Kaitlin)

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Visiting my Grandma T. at her place. This woman is the Rummikub Master—don’t even TRY to pull anything during that game when Grandma’s around! Chase & Charlotte liked to go & eat Jelly Bellies at her place. They also got to play with her old classic toys & draw on the huge chalkboard in the hallway.

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My sister Rachel & brother Ryan’s birthday dinner at a little restaurant called Flavor (they turned ages 23 & 33, respectively).

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…And I’m some sort of tall Matriarchal figure here. What a goofy pic!

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Categories
Charlotte Family Fun

Candy Run & Uncle Gino

On an outing with Grandma (while Chase was at a day camp), we stopped to get some donkey food for Pepper. Charlotte liked the little horses outside the shop.

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We went to Powell’s Sweet Shoppe in Petaluma. I was in heaven! cAnDy EvErYwHeRe! Old fashioned candy, sour gummy candy, foreign candy, unique candy, etc.! Why didn’t I take any pictures? Maybe because I was busy drooling all over everything!

Here’s Charlotte sprinting up & down the walkway afterwards. Sugar high! It’s delightful to take her places because she’s quite easygoing in the car & in stores.

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We went home to have lunch & she pretended to nap (I think she crashed after her sugar high)

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Uncle Gino came for a day! The kids adore him & have a lot of fun with him. What dedication to drive up from So. Cal for just a day before heading back again to work! Thanks, Gino!

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Categories
Chase Adventures

Chase’s Life on the Farm

Kids have such a unique viewpoint of things. Sometimes I won’t even notice something or think it’s that great, but my kids will see the awesomeness in ordinary things, point it out, & it’s suddenly an exciting thing.

Chase was the only one who was intensely THRILLED when he & Grandpa discovered that one of my parents’ trees had fallen across the road & needed to be hauled out to the field. After sprinting inside the house to announce it to the rest of us, he headed out with Grandpa to take care of this urgent matter. I got out there in time to take a few shots.

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Driving without Grandpa’s help– very focused on his important job. I love it!

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Another hard day’s work is done.

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Chase cracks me up. He is a very intense, curious child who always wants to be busy & doing projects. Frankly, he’s a major handful for me… But he cracks me up.

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I went outside to round him up for bedtime that evening, but Grandpa was testing out the big water faucets, so I couldn’t very easily pull Chase away.

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He enjoyed turning this big one on & off & seeing how powerful the flow was.

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Then Grandpa suggested that he strip down since he was already drenched…

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…Alright! Par-tay!!!! (I could not stop laughing.)

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He’d run through the raging water & it would throw him forward a foot or two. Pure delight!

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Categories
Charlotte Chase Family Fun

Backyard Fun

This is another California post, and yes, there will be a few more to come.

Below, Chase & Charlotte race each other on a beautiful evening (guess who won the race)!

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Rachel tried to take some sentimental Mother + Children pics of us. Look how peaceful and loving we look (Chase & Charlotte were actually both struggling to get away so they could keep racing across the lawn).

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Funny blonde kids

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The next day, we had some of Chase’s friends over to swim.

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Charlotte suddenly spotted a swimmer in trouble…

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So without hesitation, she grabbed hold of a sturdy pink pool noodle…

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And risked her life to rescue Grandpa & one of the friends!

(ok not really, but it makes a good story. I love Grandpa’s facial expression!)

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What a brave girl.

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Categories
Charlotte Chase Chase Adventures Family Fun

Fire Station & Jaws of Life

We went to a 4th of July Firemen’s Breakfast at my grandma’s local fire station. It was bright & early, & a fun way to start the day!

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After breakfast, we watched a demonstration of how the Jaws of Life are used to slice open a wrecked car with a victim trapped inside (in this case a dummy was used). It was very sobering to imagine experiencing that severe of a car accident.

This fireman recommended against keeping lots of junk in the car, because if you’re in an accident, all that stuff will be thrown around & can injure you. Pace will be glad to know that I’m going to try to keep extra junk out of our minivan! At least I’ll try…

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Pretend that the boy below that’s holding the Jaws of Life is Chase. Chase had a turn holding those heavy Jaws of Life, but I missed the photo op. Smile

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Categories
Health

Juice Juice Everywhere

At the advice of a co-worker, we checked out Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. It was an interesting movie. We enjoyed watching the stories of these people. Nathan wondered why I liked the 90 minute infomercial, however the only thing they asked me to buy was vegetables, so I don’t agree with his viewpoint. Matter of fact seven of us at work all agreed it would be worth trying out. So starting tomorrow morning we are going to be drinking just juiced meals. My boss is bringing in his juicer and he’s committed to 60 days! I’ll probably just go with 10 days. Anyway if you have streaming Netflix check it out, or watch this extended trailer and fill in the blanks with your imagination.