Yes, Luke, this is ALL for you.....

Doesn't that title apply to more than just a bathroom make-over?! You have kids, and suddenly it's not about you, or anyone else for that matter, any more. It's only about them. You live, eat, and breathe your baby. God knew what he was doing when he made "recreation"... it's a love I'm sure He feels for his children, too. And, it's the strongest, moat amazing love I have ever felt in my lifetime.

On to the blog. I decided a while ago to change Luke's bathroom to a more "kid-friendly" decor, because although it is our main bathroom, it will be his primary bathroom. I have been having a hard time finding a shower curtain that I love because that was to be the jumping off point for the rest of the bathroom.

Most of the time, I try to limit my time in Target. I love that store. And when I say love, I mean "I need 2 of everything in this store" love. Everything in there is right up my alley, and I hadn't been in months because I'm trying not to overspend. And, Target=$$$$.

So, I happened to go in the yesterday, and I found it. The most perfect shower curtain that I knew Luke would love. It had bold, bright colors that would attract him, and lots of animals on it, which he also loves. So, here is the transformation-

Before... pretty, but not exactly little boy friendly.

 Old rug.

 Wall behind door, and linen closet.

After!
Really cool and inspiring wall art, for $9! 

 Cool rug! 

 All new bath! 

 He loves it :)

I forgot to take a picture of the linen closet wall, but I took down the towel bar, and patched and painted the wall. We added three white hooks, in a straight row, to hang colorful towels on. It looks great!

I feel so accomplished :)
What do you think?
Have a great Saturday!

21 Day Challenge... Continues!

First, let me point out that I am on my 6th post! Yea! Normally, I never keep up with these things, but I am loving it this time around. I'm really enjoying taking nice pictures too, and adding them on here. It will be nice to look back on this sometime and see everything that I was doing! :)

Also, random question before I get into my "post"-- anyone know how to attach "buttons" to your blog? I googled it and couldn't find the answer....

Anyway, I tackled my junk drawer today while Luke was napping. It needed it, I had no idea how much crap I had shoved into one tiny drawer! Sheesh!

Here is a picture of everything taken out and laid on my counter... too much stuff!

My pretty drawer liner paper from Target.

All finished! Nice and organized!

It wasn't too bad of a project to tackle on such a beautiful day! Yesterday, I washed some windows with my new Basic H2 cleaner, and my GOODNESS, the transformation was amazing. I will post those pictures below also. I'm about 90% sure I am going to become a distributor for Shaklee.... It seems like a great idea, but I am waiting for some more information about it. Keep your fingers crossed for me! 

Before... pretty gross.

After! And that was even with the sun baking into my dining room! :)

Happy Tuesday! :)

Got any good projects you are working on around your house? Leave a post below! 

Shaklee arrived! Hooray!

I just so happened to be walking through my kitchen when I saw it.... The UPS truck. I haven't been this thrilled since the Christmas Mike proposed to me.... no, really.


I ran walked to my door, and on my porch was my box of Shaklee products I have been waiting for all weekend.... I brought it inside, ripped it open, and admired my new, green cleaning products. I got 5 things with my initial order, and my auto-ship will supply me with the other things I will need- that ships the first week of June (but, after today I may move that up to this week!)

A lot of people rave about the smell of Shaklee products. There is no "chemical" odor or anything like regular cleaners, just a fresh clean scent that probably is a lot stronger than I'm smelling it but I have a stuffy/runny nose, thanks to my allergies (drats!). And, I was totally drawn to the packaging, because I am a total nerd like that- it's very plain and simple which to me equals clean for some reason. Anyway, I got a microfiber cloth especially for windows, a microfiber cloth for other cleaning, Soft Fabric Concentrate (fabric softener, duh), Dish Wash Concentrate (dish washing detergent, duh) and the "miracle in a bottle" Basic H2.

Basic H2 is a versatile product that can clean loads of things including windows and glass, so I right away put it to work on my glass stove-top.

Here is a before picture... all the dust, crumbs, and nasty greasy buildup that Windex wasn't getting off....

Ewww. I'm ashamed.

And here is the after.... no crumbs, no dust but more importantly, NO greasy build-up!! I wish it would have filled in that nice scratch running down the center of the stove... lol

What a difference! I am so impressed. Actually, I am ITCHING to quit typing and get to my windows because they need some serious help after all this rain. Seriously. Fantastic so far. I am going to put in some laundry, do some dishes and clean everything in sight.
Can you see the difference? Do you think I should become a distributor? More importantly, would you try the products? (psst... one bottle of Basic H2 makes 42 gallons of cleaner) Here are some interesting charts, thanks to A Bowl Full Of Lemons--

Many uses for Basic H:

Window Cleaner – Mix - Only 1 to 3 drops in 16 oz. spray bottle of water. If smearing occurs, mixture too strong – add water to dilute.

General Spray Cleaner – Mix 4-6 drops in 16 oz spray bottle of water. Use all over the house to wipe furniture, chrome, the stove, the refrigerator, vent blinds, and excellent for louvered doors.

General Spot Remover – Apply Basic-H directly on spotted area. Use a toothbrush or finger to rub into area. Wipe off with a damp cloth or rinse in basin of water. (Removes coffee, ink, grass, etc)

General Cleaning – 1/2 tsp. in qt. of warm water.  Cleans doors, walls, woodwork, appliances, bathroom fixtures & tile.

Insect Repellent for People and Animals – Rub/Apply full strength Basic-H wherever you do not want insects to bite; they won’t bite where Basic-H has been applied. Also relieves itching of insect bites (rub on, full strength). Be careful around eyes, it does sting. If you get some in the eyes just flush with water.

Floors - 1 Tbs. per gallon of water.  Leaves floor shining.  May require rinsing.

Dusting – 1/8 tsp. in pint of water, squeeze sponge almost dry (Or spray on), Wipe off dust, fingerprints, etc.  Dry with clean cloth.  Leaving the wax finish beautifully bright & dust repellent, less dusting required.

Outside Windows – 1/2 tsp. in “Ortho-type” spray applicator full of water.  Makes 2 gallons of solution for windows & screens. Squeegee dry.

Coffee-makers – Dilute 1/8 tsp.  Basic-H in pot of water. Run through cycle & coffee stains will rinse away.

Ironing - 1 drop in steam iron keeps the jets & interior clean.

Wallpaper - Excellent for removing wallpaper.  1/2 Tbs. per gal. of water.  Soak wallpaper with sponge & peel or scrape.

Concrete & Mortar Mix – 1/4 oz. per 1 gallon of water.  Makes cement & mortar spread easier & smoother, set harder.

Plumbing - Will keep pipes clean & free-running when used regularly to wash hands, pots & pans at sinks.  It emulsifies grease & can eliminate cleaning of grease traps.

Pressure Washer – 1/2 oz Basic-H to 20 gallons of water.

Heavy Duty – use 1 oz per gallon of water.  Leaves a luster to mobile homes, homes, RVs & etc.

Humidifiers – Use 1 or 2 drops in humidifier water to help prevent rust & scum.

Knives – 1 or 2 drops on cutting stone for sharpening knives. Keep moist & add Basic-H as needed.  Doesn’t clog stone – very important when sharpening tools. Stone rinses free of residue.

Yard Spray to Rid of Fleas - in hose spray bottle, fill with water; add 1 cap-full of Basic-H. Attach to hose & spray yard every 10 days for 3 applications. Use twice a year thereafter to control.  Rinse all plants thoroughly.

Liquid Hand Soap - Mix 1/4 Basic-H to 3/4 water in pump dispenser by sinks.  Will not dry or irritate hands like soaps may.  Will help moisten, soften & protect hands!

Fine Fabrics – Use 1/2 tsp to a basin of lukewarm water to wash woolens, nylon stockings, and all fine fabrics.

Gum – Use full strength to remove gum from skin, hair or carpeting.

Fruits & Vegetables – Use 1/8 tsp. in pint of water wash and rinse.  Removes insecticide residue, dirt and waxes. For lettuce cut head in half and place in cold water with a couple drops of H. It removes the poisons and crisps up the lettuce.

Automotive Uses Washing- vehicle – 1/2 tsp. per gallon of water. Wash small area at a time and hose off.  Wipe windshield, windows and chrome with paper towels after rinsing.  You’ll love the shine!

Battery Terminals - 1/2 tsp. to pint of water and spray on battery terminals and let soak 2 minutes. Clean with wire brush.

Filters – 1 tsp to gallon of water. Soak air filters from motors and watch the dirt float out into the water. Air dry or put on hot engine for faster drying.

Camping Cleaning & Washing - Coat bottoms and sides of pots and pans with Basic-H before placing over campfire.  Black soot just slides right off when you wash.

Fish Odors – 1/2 Tbs. per quart of water.  Basic-H2 works wonders on boats, docks.

Washing RV, Boat & Camper – 1/2 Tbs. per gallon of water.

Crayon - To remove from walls, use full strength.

Spot Remover - Apply directly on spotted area, which has been dampened with water. Use a toothbrush or finger to rub basic-H2 into area.  Wipe with a damp cloth or rinse in basin of water

Upholstery - Mix 1/2 Tbs. to ½ gallon water. Spray on & rub clean.

Septic Tanks – Keeps crust from forming.  For maximum health of septic system use all of Shaklee’s phosphate free cleaning products.  This will do much to promote the growth of needed friendly bacteria.

Houseplants – Water plants with 1 oz. Basic-H to 1 gallon water. 4 drops to 1 pint water can be sprayed on the leaves to make healthier plants and keep dust off.

Fertilizer - Add a few drops to warm water, then water your indoor or outdoor plants. The Basic H² solution will make the ground soluble to the water, thus making your plants much healthier than with regular water.

Toothpaste - Add a drop or two to your toothbrush, right on top of your normal dab of toothpaste. Watch as your teeth become whiter and your gums healthier. Your breath may even stay fresh longer, as Basic H fights germs of all sorts. 

Glove -  Before you start a dirty job or before gardening, pour a few drops directly onto your hands. Rub them together to coat both hands. After you are done cleaning, wash your hands to find that dirt, scum, smell and overall ickiness are nowhere to be found.

Pesticide -  Dilute your Basic H² to a couple of drops per spray-bottle, then spritz your plants as part of your regular routine. Not only will the bugs stay away but you might also find that they are bigger and healthier, as well.

Produce wash – Just 1/8tsp. added to a pint of water will make an effective and safe wash for your produce. Grit and dirt on leafy vegetables are easily removed, and you no longer have to worry about a funny taste remaining on the produce.

Diaper wash - Coupled with 1/2 tsp of Shaklee Basic G (a germicide), 1/4 tsp of Basic H² can remove germs and odors from your cloth diapers. Leave a bit in your diaper pail to prevent odors there, as well.

Windshield Wash/Rain repellent - Pour 3 1/2 tsp of Basic H² into one quart of water, and use it as your windshield wash. Rain and slush will easily wipe away from your windshield, and bugs will slide away, as well.

Hmmm... that is enough to make me switch! :)
Happy Monday!

Here goes....

Well, the first of many projects is finished. The painting of the great room is complete. Although, it's very bare in there (to say the least) I am very happy with how it turned out. And, there is still about 2 gallons of the neutral beige color left, so I may put that to good use some place else. Here is a before picture of the room.... This post is going to be a picture overload, but I took quite a few so we could see the transformation. My friend who is an interior designer is coming over in the following weeks to help me get some inspiration for my mantle and hopefully a new furniture arrangement. I also have some curtain panels at Lowe's that I will be picking up next weekend. That should help pull everything together.... I hope.

This was during...

After!

Would you want to rock your baby and read stories here? I do... although I will be re-staining and re-upholstering that chair!

My "blank" mantle... that scrolly-thing in front of the fireplace will be hung up there somewhere.

Not sure if you can tell how much of a color difference there is with my cheap camera, but it's really great!

Well, what do you think? Anyone have any good ideas for the room?

21 Day Challenge

So, in my last post, I told you all about this 21-day-challenge I will be embarking on. I have also complained about the current state of my home, and how it drives me up a wall when I look around it. Well, I am here this morning to elaborate on both these topics. First, let's start with my house.

Here is a little background- my husband owns a very successful new construction company. He is a 3rd part owner, and also the head "framer" for the company, so he hand frames every single project that they do. After 6 years of witnessing his awe-inspiring, God-given talent, I am still amazed when I drive to see him and see somebody's home being built by my man's hands. When we got engaged, I was 18 years old, he was 21, and we decided that of COURSE we would have to build our own first home. We found a plan we liked, (him more than me; I wanted a 2-story, he wanted a ranch-- guess who won that battle?) land we liked, and we started building. I had no clue what sort of "style" I was heading towards. I basically just picked out things I liked and hoped they were similar enough to "go together". And, for the most part, they did. Everything was great when we moved in- we were young, crazy in love with a brand new home and all brand new things.... While we are still young, crazy in love with a 4 year old house, and 4 year old things that make me cringe, I am trying my best not to "hate" everything.

The quickest way to make a noticeable change to your home is to paint. In large amounts. So, that's what we have been doing. I mentioned that in an earlier post. Throughout these 4 years of marriage, we have accumulated a lot of STUFF that I can't wait to go through and get rid of. I've come to the conclusion that I want people to come over and think I'm moving.... I don't want any clutter, I want everything peacefully cohesive and the stuff I do have, I want it to be meaningful.

So, that's where this 21 day challenge steps in. I follow a blog called A Bowl Full Of Lemons, and it is so inspiring. I am such a fan of what Toni is doing to her house. She came up with a 21 day challenge, where your able to go through your house in a series of 21 days and purge the things you don't need/want, all while organizing the things you keep and making it more functional for your life. Ahhhh- just what I needed to read about.

This week I went into the challenge with bells on, but was only able to accomplish one thing, because let's face it- with a 16 month old, it's hard to get much of anything done! But, I conquered my fridge, with Luke's help, and it looks awesome... everything is neat, there is no old leftovers from Lord-knows-when, and it is clean. I ordered some Shaklee products from Toni, which are all-natural, non-toxic cleaners and am waiting for them patiently. I am also thinking of selling them, since they seem so amazing! I am waiting for them to get here so I can try them out first and then have my own testimony.

I am hoping this afternoon to tackle under my kitchen sink, my junk drawer, my computer desk, and my freezer so I can be caught up with the challenge for next week. I am not following them in a particular order, because sometimes I won't have enough time to do a pantry overhaul for example, but can tackle some toy organizing. Can't wait for a cleaner, greener, more organized home!!

P.S- My dad is coming to help paint tomorrow *fingers crossed.* Pictures will follow for sure!

Have a great weekend! 

If you're wondering about my web page address....

Not sure how many people took the time to check out my web page address for this site, but it goes along with my childhood nickname- Baby Nickle. Not many people know about this nickname, and I'm not sure why because I stinkin' love it! My uncle gave it to me when I was a little baby.... My whole name is Nicole, and he must have came up with the idea since it sounds similar to Nickle. Him and my Aunt Dar are the only people that call me that... He even drilled a hole into a shiny new nickle on the day of my wedding and strung ribbon to it to attach it to my bouquet. Later that evening, he said when I walked down the aisle to meet Mike, he saw the nickle glittering in the sunlight. How fun! Family is amazing, and I am so very thankful that I was blessed with such great people in mine.

We are getting ready to begin some more (dreaded) painting. Actually, I'm not dreading it at all... I can't wait to get rid of the ugly, gold color that is on our walls now that I HATE. I can't remember if I loved it or not when we built our house 4 years ago, but boy do I hate it now! The picture above is of our current great room....I'm still not sure why I bought all dark furniture either. Blaahh. Anyway, we will be painting with my dad this weekend to get rid of that disgusting color in exchange for something more light and airy feeling. To the right of this picture is our giant custom fireplace which I love, love, LOVE and is all white, so I will be painting that wall a nice earthy green color to help the fireplace stand out. If I had it my way, like I said in the earlier post, I would burn this house to the ground and start over, but since that is NOT an option I am going to slowly work on making it a space that I love being in. I have been drawing so much of my inspiration from Pottery Barn lately, that I think I'd like to hop into one of the rooms in the pages of their magazine and live. There never seems to be anything in that catalouge that I don't love.

In the past few months we have painted other rooms in our home too... The kitchen from the dreaded curse of the Deerpath color, to a nice color called Nutmeg. It goes so well with my cream cabnients that I absolutely love coming in here and whipping up some goodies. We also painted our laundry room from a green to a gray-ish clay color... it's also amazing and makes me love doing laundry which is a feat in itself. Once we get going on our project this Saturday I will be sure to post more pictures for you all to enjoy. (And, p.s.- I am excited to hang my wall art in my great room-- hence why that wall is so bare!)

I'm hoping to start a whole-house overhaul pretty soon. I'd like to have a garage sale and sell all my nick-nacks and whatnot's so I can take the money and start shopping at the Goodwill for that shabby-sheek look I fall in love with so often. We'll see how that flies with my husband! haha

Enjoy your day.... I know I will! This is currently what is going on in the Bisbee household... :)

Oh and another P.S.- I found this wonderful blog not too long ago, that I read all the time! It has such great tips in it for doing really creative things to your home. It's called "A Bowl Full Of Lemons" and I will place her website below. I will be starting her 21-day Get Organized challenge tomorrow. I'm only about 5 months too late, but HEY- it's the thought that counts right?! :)

A Bowl Full Of Lemons :)

Blowing the dust off!

Whew! I have started my own blog.. again. I am hoping to keep up with this one... I'm even going to bookmark it on my laptop so I won't forget my password and all that good stuff!

My last blog I started, which I can't remember for the life of me, was more for cooking. This blog will be more a "snapshot" into our life. I'm hoping to share my triumphs and loses as I learn to parent my 16-month-old, whose sole purpose in life is to test my every word. I'm also hoping to share in our recent adventure (more mine than my husbands) of re-doing a lot of things in our home. I am switching styles, and finding inspiration to fit my mind's eye hasn't been easy, to say the least. And my hubs isn't at all thrilled at the prospect of re-doing everything in our newly (4 year old) home. I can't say a I blame him, but the more I look at our home, the more I feel like burning it down and collecting the insurance money and starting over.

Anyway, I hope that you enjoy reading this! I had a wonderful idea for my first official post, but a certain 16 month old has put a stop to that.... As I type, he is smearing eggs all over my rocking chair. Sigh.

I will be back soon with a worthwhile post! Promise :)