Am I Healthy?: The Ten Best Ways to Measure Your Health and Fitness

How does one measure health? It depends on who you ask. A physician may measure health in terms of lab values – cholesterol, blood sugar and so on. A personal trainer might tell you that your body fat percentage is the best indicator of good health. You might base it on what the scale tells you or how your clothes fit.I’m a big believer in monitoring all of these things and then some. Seems like a big job, but really it only takes a few minutes to do each one, involves inexpensive equipment or can be a regular part of a visit to your physician. I call them “The Big Ten Health and Fitness Measures.”
Weight

BMI (Body Mass Index)

Body composition

Measurements

Resting and target heart rates

Cardiorespiratory fitness

Energy level

Blood pressure

Glucose & cholesterol

Pain

Why keep track of all these things? First, because there isn’t one single good way to define what makes a person healthy or fit. For instance, just because you are at a healthy weight, does not mean that you don’t have high cholesterol. Also, it can be discouraging to use just one method. You may find yourself in a situation where even though you did not lose any weight in a given week, you may have lost inches.Monitoring several indicators of health and fitness helps you to get a well-rounded picture of your entire self. We do not judge our children in just one subject at school right? And just because the child does poorly in math does not mean he won’t excel at other subjects. And just because you have not lost any weight on the scale does not mean that your waist isn’t getting smaller.Secondly, we have all heard the adage, “a problem defined is 95% solved.” Knowing your target ranges for health indicators like weight, body fat and BMI can help you to define what you need to work on. You avoid unnecessary changes and difficulties by having the correct information. For instance, someone with good cholesterol levels has no need for an ultra-low fat diet.Third, it serves as a point of inspiration to see how far you have come. Since the changes you are making will be small and incremental, it may be discouraging at times not to see overt progress. However, by keeping track of a variety of fitness indicators, it is easier to see, in black and white, all of the progress you are making.

How to Buy a Property in Bulgaria

The CostAlthough the property prices in Bulgaria are quite low compared to the other European countries, there is still a wide variety of prices depending on the property type and location (as a rule the properties in Sofia and at the Black Sea are more expensive). The first thing you will need to figure out is how much you can afford to spend and thereafter to determine the price range for your purchase. Apart from the actual price of the property, there are a lot of other one-off costs you have to consider.The expendituresThere are some differences in the property-buying process in Bulgaria from those in the UK. Below is the list of one-off costs which provides you with a rough estimate of the expenditures you will have to cover. It is advisable always to take all eventualities into account when making your estimates.1. DepositUsually you are required to put down at least 10% of the price.2. SolicitorYou will need to employ a local solicitor, who speaks English, for all the legal aspects of buying a property. Some charge a flat rate, others a percentage of the property price (usually 1%). We recommend to get some quotes before choosing one.Solicitors in Bulgaria frequently represent both sides of a transaction, but are legally obliged to be diligent and fair.3. Preliminary contractIts cost is of around £100, with an extra £15 or so payable for a translation of the contract – remember that the English version is not legally binding.4. Survey / Valuation Fee5. Agency feesAgency fees in Bulgaria are often split between buyer and seller; a typical fee might be 6% with buyer and seller each paying 3%. Sometimes the buyer is responsible for the whole fee; would-be buyers should clarify beforehand precisely what percentage of the value will be the fee and for what proportion of that fee he or she is liable. Occasionally – and this is most often the case with new-build properties – the fee is included in the purchase price; again, though, the buyer is advised to find out if this is the case and, if so, what proportion of the overall price pertains to the fee as it may affect the resale value of the property.6. Stamp DutyThe government charges a tax based upon the property’s purchase price. This is called country tax and it is the equivalent of the Stamp Duty in the United Kingdom. This is a maximum of 2% of purchase price charged at completion.7. Notary FeeThe notary puts on public record that the title deed has been signed in their presence and understood by the parties concerned. The notary is further in charge of the submitting of the title deed with the other related documents of the transfer to the cadastral and the property register (land register).The Notary will pay registration and state fees collected previously from the buyer.Registration confirms you as the legal owner of the property and registers you at that address. The fee charged depends upon the price of the property (See Stamp Duty).8. House-hunting ExpensesProperty-hunting can be quite a costly business. Expenses include money for travel to Bulgaria, hotels and eating, and telephone calls.9. Removal Fees (if not only a holiday home)Doing the removal yourself is time-consuming and stressful. If you decide to employ a company, ask around for quotes first.Find a Property in BulgariaAfter having calculated how much you can afford, you can start on the most exciting part of the property-buying process: selecting your future property.But before you start spending your nights digging through piles of Bulgarian property web sites and looking at estate agents’ brochures, it is advisable to sit down and think about what exactly you want. Property-hunting is exhausting and time-consuming, and you can save yourself a lot of work and energy by deciding on certain prerequisites before starting out on the actual property search.Choosing the location and the neighbourhoodMake sure you select an area you feel comfortable in, and which suits your personal needs. If you are going to spend only your holidays in Bulgaria, then maybe you will prefer a property in a ski or sea resort. If your intention is to retire in Bulgaria, then a small village may be suitable for you. But it is a must to check the infrastructure in the region. The same is the situation if you are thinking of purchasing a property in Bulgaria for part-time retirement.If you are a young, childless professional, you might want a lively pub scene in the area, whereas if you are an overworked parent of two children, a good school and a playground might be more important to you.Anyway in Bulgaria there is a place for everybody – quiet lovely villages with animals and gardens, or undisturbed mountain villages, or lively cities, or luxury sea or spa resorts.
Here are the essential points to consider when choosing your future location and neighbourhood:1. The PricesFind out what area you can afford a decent property in by looking at the prices of properties sold recently in different locations.2. Your feelingsMake sure you feel comfortable in that location.3. Distance and transportYou can arrive in Bulgaria by plane, by car, by bus or by train. The major airports are in Sofia, Varna and Bourgas. From there you can take a bus or a taxi to your final destination. For more information you can see Arriving in Bulgaria. So when you choose your property’s location consider how you would get to there and how long it would take you. The best possibility is that your future property is close to the major airport and the road infrastructure is in good condition.4. Local AmenitiesWhat you need depends on your lifestyle and preferences. Look out for shops, public transport, leisure’ facilities like pubs and clubs, children’s activities, parks etc.5. SchoolsIf you have kids, find out what is the situation with the local schools.6. Crime rateFind out the crime rate in the region.7. Condition of the region and neighbourhoodKeep in mind that the state of the houses in your neighbourhood influences the value of your own. The resort regions are likely to be more fancy than the ordinary villages.8. Local Authority ServicesFind out how often the waste is being collected, if the road infrastructure is regularly maintained, if the gardens and parks are kept in good condition etc.Choose a PropertyIn addition to deciding what area you want to live in, you will have to make up your mind in regard to the characteristics of the property you intend to buy.Below there is a list of property features you will have to consider:1. Property typeDo you want a house or a flat? If you prefer a house, should it be detached, semi-detached or terraced?Under the Bulgarian Act on Foreign Investments, foreigners are not allowed to own land but may own buildings. Foreigners wishing to own land can do it by setting up a Bulgarian company to hold the land. Bulgarian company incorporation costs less than £600. Bulgaria’s ownership policy will be harmonized with the EU in the future, most probably in 2007.2. Property FeaturesDetermine what size the property should be (keep in mind that bigger home mean higher heating costs).
Decide on the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the face of the building, whether you want a garden. If you are looking for apartment, have you any preferences for the floor number.3. Old or new?A new property will be more expensive to buy, but with an old property high expenses might incur for repairs and improvements. There are also many properties that are sold “off-plan”, which may be pretty favourable for you.4. GarageIf you intend to have a car in Bulgaria, check whether you have good parking facilities on the street or if there is a garage.Bulgarian Property-Hunting ResourcesAfter having decided on your priorities, you can start off looking for a property to buy. There are different resources for property listings.1. Estate AgentsIn Bulgaria the Estate Agents can advertise the properties and handle negotiations. Agents usually have a wide range of properties available and can offer detailed information.
Buying property in Bulgaria should only be undertaken with good professional advice. It is essential to use a reputable real estate agent – the boom in what is a largely unregulated market has led to a huge increase in the number of companies selling property, some of which may not have the experience or professional approach of longer established agencies. It is advisable to ask for references from previous customers, particularly other foreigners.2. Private saleSome property sellers prefer to handle their sale privately, by advertising locally. However a private sale may hardly be found. But the advantage of this kind of bargain is that there are not any estate agent fees to be paid and you might end up paying less.
You have to consider that a private seller might not deal with you in the same professional manner as an estate agent does. Especially when difficulties or delays arise, the situation can become a bit tense.3. Online property listingsWhen you want to buy a property in Bulgaria and you want to get a quick impression of what’s on the market, the online property listings are very convenient and helpful. It is usually possible to look for properties according to features, price range and location. Internet listings can be accessed via estate agents’ home pages or independent property web sites.
You should keep in mind that a photo posted on the internet might not give you an adequate impression of the property, so it is better to remain skeptical until you have actually seen the property.Arrange a viewingIf you have the chance you have to go and see the property with your own eyes. Check the property you view for:- General Condition (fixtures and fittings, layout etc.)- State of Repair (insulation, heating, plugs, plumbing etc.)- Structural problems (dampness, cracks in walls or ceilings, crooked doors, damaged foundations etc.)If you have no possibility to go to Bulgaria to view the property that interests you, you may require more pictures of certain features of the property. Also you may ask for the things that are not described in the advertisement as fixtures and fittings, insulation, heating, plugs, plumbing, etc.ReservationOnce you have determined which property you wish to buy, you can reserve it either by phone, post or e-mail. You may be required to pay a reservation fee, which is refundable, and the property will be reserved for you for a certain period of time. If the property is sold via Estate Agent you have to call them to secure the deal.Preliminary Contract and depositThe next step will be the sign of the preliminary contact and the payment of the deposit. The deposit may vary from 10% to 20% of the purchase cost.Survey and ValuationYou are basically conducting a mini-survey and valuation every time you view a property. It is also advisable to have a more in-depth inspection and valuation done in order to assess the property’s condition and find out whether the house is actually worth its price.The ConveyanceAfter your offer has been accepted, the conveyancing process starts. This includes all the legal and administrative issues that have to be addressed when a property is transferred from one owner to another.
The common practice is to hire a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer to deal with the legal aspects. Hiring a professional solicitor has become cheaper and his services are well worth the money.What the conveyancing process involves
Before the exchange of contracts:

Checking the “title deeds” of the property to find out whether it really belongs to the seller
Establishing the property’s legal boundaries
Putting together a list of fixtures, fittings and contents to establish what is to be included in the sale
Preparing a enquiry form for the vendor to find out about any material or structural defects they are aware of
Surveying local authority plans for details on upcoming developments that could influence your property’s value
Negotiating with the seller any repairs or changes to the offer
Advising you on the draft contract for sale prepared by the vendor’s solicitor

Exchange of contracts:

Arranging the date for the completion and the exchange of contracts
Handing over the deposit

Completion:

Handing over the keys and title deeds
Paying stamp fees and notary fees
Completing the SaleThe completion date, which has been set in the contract, is the day the house becomes officially yours.For further information on Bulgarian properties or any aspect of property buying process, visit the new Find Bulgarian Property Portal.

51 Surefire Ways To Make Money Online

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The money making tips are by no means in chronological order but are in a sparse format just like my brain so sorry for not categorizing this content but its not too bad for 100% free information. Disclaimer: Free information, no promises of increase of income by reading this info What you do with this information is your decision and even though i want everyone who read this to make massive money i cant guarantee any result of income.1. Write an info product for a well established niche, this is one of the easiest ways that i use to constantly make money online :) . If your info product has anything new or innovative then it should sell well. However, just don’t write the ebook! Build a business. Gather visitors emails that comes to your site and offer them complimentary products through affiliate programs. Go ahead and offer upsells, and backends, and memberships for recurring income. If your just offering an ebook your leaving potential of thousands and thousands of dollars right on the dinner table, don’t think of it as “YES! I made a sale,” think of it as a real business and increasing the amount of profits you make per sale.2. Start your own online country, thats right. What i mean by this is basically your own unique online community that is catered towards a group of people that allows them to share content and information with each other. Look at myspace, facebook, and youtube. Million and Billion dollar ideas in just a couple of years.3. Build your virtual real estate. I’m not too much of a AdSense site type of guy, im into building businesses instead, i prefer making social networking sites that will gather people’s attention… and a good way to go about this is make it FREE, thats the magic word. Once you get people to register to your site you can then allow them to share it with their friends which will help make your site grow bigger. If your website is getting traffic then you can monetize off this with AdSense or by selling advertising which can be a killer money maker by you literally doing nothing.4. Help a friend get a job. Its funny while your out to start working for yourself, you are out to know help connect people you know with better jobs. Many people are looking for jobs, just take for instance craigslist one of the most populated websites in the world has a large section for connecting employers and job seekers. Also, monster.com is also a huge network for connecting employers with job seekers as well. If you can help connect someone then the rewards could be huge, as big as in the 1000 range, not really no chicken change. Some services that you can look into is [https://www.h3.com/welcome.html] and http://www.jobthread.com/5. Advertise and sell other people’s products from your website which is known as affiliate marketing which is such a hot field because people are looking for ways to make money online without having their own product, and this is one that you can accomplish this. Some affiliate networks to check are commission junction, amazon, and linkshare. The popular one for selling digital product is clickbank.6. Sell yourself :) . Now, don’t get it the wrong way. There are some sites online known as freelance services in which web masters or companies will pay you money if you do certain tasks for them. If you can build websites, program, or do any other technical skills then join these sites.7. Write. This is something that anyone can do and there are no technical skills required except being able to use the computer and research. Look for writing jobs on freelance services. It will help to have a portfolio of some of your writings in order to help increase your chances of getting chosen.8. Do you take pictures? You can sell licenses to web masters or individuals to use the photos that you take and you can usually charge a good amount for these as well.9. Assist businesses. Yes, businesses and web masters always need help and you can help them with everyday tasks by becoming their virtual assistant.10. Know something about a subject and love to talk? Well, you will love blogging. Blog about the topic and write in a manner that attracts people. You can monetize your site with adsense, sell affiliate programs, sell advertising, you name it. http://www.blogger.com is a free blogging software.11. Don’t know a thing? No worries you are not alone, but that shouldn’t stop you from blogging as it doesn’t stop others, you can still make money just by blogging on topics that are interesting. You can blog about your everyday tasks, blog about your plans to lose weight, or blog about your plans to make money. Some marketers have started money making challenges such as the 30K challenge, or Willie Crawford’s 1 million in 90 days challenge. These type of challenges can gather huge interests in people.12. Fill a need. I own and frequent many forums and i have come to a conclusion that people love to complain. Thats great! Whatever they are complaining about provide them a solution, this equals more money in your wallet.13. Make money by managing domain names. For example, domain name services like sedo and afternic gets paid just for regulating domain names. This can be nice steady income for having no products to sell yourself, or by not even selling other people’s products… but just by being the middleman.14. Buy and resell domain names for quick cash. I once purchased a domain name at the right time and then flipped it for $200. Domain name flipping takes some time to master like any other skill though.15. Purchase a domain name, build up the pr (pagerank), gain backlinks, and then sell the domain name. If you can get a pr6 domain name then you should be able to sell this for a hundred or two on ebay.16. If you can find a domain name that is keyword rich and is getting steady traffic then purchase it and park it and watch the money come in overtime.17. Build a house and flip it. By this i mean purchase a domain name and build a website for it and then try and sell it for profit. A popular site to sell websites is sitepoint:http://www.sitepoint.com/18. Get paid to post in forums. I would only recommend this if you’re looking for quick side cash because this is by no means a way to make a killing online. Some web masters will pay individuals to make posts at forums. Sometimes, an individual has a new forum up and running and want to get it active so they will pay individuals to post there under multiple usernames. Or, web masters could pay individuals to post on forums so that they can get more traffic to their website through signatures. Or, a webmaster could be the owner of a forum and pay forum users for each post they make in order to help them stay, and in order to help build up traffic to the forum as well.19. Go ahead and try to start your own article directory, but you better do something to make it unique and beneficial to the article submitter. Whats going to make an individual submit to your article directory as opposed to ones that they are accustom to submitting to and “plus” get results with. The good news is most of the other article directories are doing pretty much the same exact thing that everyone else is doing, you just have to be that much different and find your unique positioning.20. Learn the ins and outs about a large network and teach people how to use it effectively, become an expert in that field. For example, look at ebay. Even though it may be simple to use to the average Internet browser, there are still tons of people offline that has no idea about the ins or outs about it. This can be an easy way to make some extra money. Some offline services charge people a whopping sum of money just to sell their products for them on ebay, so that is something for you to think about.21. Think of a crazy innovative idea thats newsworthy. Ever heard of the milliondollarhomepage, http://www.milliondollarhomepage.com selling worthless links? Well, it got in the news and people swarmed to the site, proof that its not incredibly hard to make big money online.22. Moderate forums, some forums get crazy traffic and some of them also get crazy amounts of spam that needs to be moderated…badly.23. Make funny videos and then register for an account here http://www.thevideosense.com/ and post them.24. If you are technical then offer support for software programs especially wordpress. People are always having issues with this software and there is money to be made by installing and customizing wordpress blogs.25. If you like surfing the Internet then AGLOCO is a program that pays you for your browsing information (at the stake of your privacy though). You will need to download their tool bar into your desktop.26. Sell tools and useful items to myspace users like templates, layouts, and backgrounds. Too many marketers try to spam this service which is against their tos, so just build real friends and sell them cheap items that they can use on myspace, easy money! Make money on myspace by selling users things that they can use while they are on myspace.27. Write a newsletter and im talking about a real one. A list of subscribers is an incredible asset for your business because you can keep selling to those people over and over again but at least give some good content instead of only emailing when you have something to promote. You can promote your products as long as affiliates once you build trust with your subscribers.28. Build your own forum. There are plenty of free scripts out there that will aid you in the process such as phpbb: http://www.phpbb.com/downloads/ or simplemachines: http://www.simplemachines.org/download/. This is an incredible way to monetize on giving something away for free. When people register they will enter their email and this is an unorthodox way to build a list. Not only that but you can build multiple streams of income by selling advertising as well as monetizing the forum with adsense. Heck, you can even offer products as discounts to forum members, sell your own products, offer co-registration, the options are limitless.29. Learn seo (search engine optimization), it can be very profitable for you in the long run. Web masters tend to be too busy and that is one reason why many do not get where they want, they cant manage their time too well. So, you can offer to get web masters links to their sites by writing and submitting articles to directories and even optimizing their pages for them.30. Start selling on ebay, eBay is a goldmine. See what is currently selling hot here http://pulse.ebay.com/ and see if you can find any whole sellers with these items an affordable rate. Make sure that you’re dealing with a reputable seller because there are many scams in this industry so beware.31. Create an award website. Awards have been tested to increase the credibility of a website (which equals more money) so make a website with a fancy logo and offer it to web masters that meet your award’s standards.32. Make money online by researching and finding statistics, facts, or quotes for individuals that needs them.33. Write articles. Some networks will give you money for how many view certain articles that you write get. Here is one such network:http://www.associatedcontent.com/.34. Learn the ins and outs of myspace, a lot of web masters are looking for people to do marketing for them on myspace and if you know about this network then you can make some money by offering your expertise.35. Make money by referring individuals to paypal and ebay. Yes, these both have affiliate programs (doesn’t pay much) but this could be an easy way to make money if you know people that are looking for ways to make money online.36. Try using Co registration to generate some money online. What this means is that a company or service will pay you money when you can generate a lead for them. For example, you place a text banner on your site and once the individual clicks they will usually be sent to a form in which they can enter their personal information, and once they have done that you get paid for it. Its obvious that to get people to enter their “personal information” online you must have an incentive offer or copy, because people are fearful of spam (i am too). However, this shouldn’t discourage you because this is very possible though. Some companies are so good at this that they get people to enter their credit card information in the forms so thats something to boost your confidence.37. Are you skilled at photoshop? I see a lot of talented individuals on online forums that be photo shopping images like crazy. You can seriously turn this skill into a business by start offering photo shopping services to web masters or individuals that are looking for such work.38. If you can photoshop then try selling your images on eBay because you never know, some people could very well purchase it. You never know if your images will become the next Internet phenomenon.39. Are you knowledgeable in anything? Come on, i know you are smart in something everybody is good at least one thing… even me :) . Well, what you could do is offer a inexpensive tutorial that teaches an individual how to learn the particular subject in an easy to follow manner.40. Can you do screen printing for t shirts? Well, you are most likely an alternative to an online service http://www.cafepress.com. You can upload images of t shirts or what type of works you do at photo sharing services such as http://www.flickr.com.41. Are you good at audio? You can get paid money to turn written text into audio or to turn audio into text (transcription).42. Can you speak more then one language? Some companies or web masters may want text translated into more then one language.43. Like software and scripts? Can you install these things? Webmasters who are not as technical may need your help, look around on freelance services to see who you can cater to.44. This is to those who are always anxious to get money fast online. This is about the quickest way that i know to make money online. First, you join affiliate programs, and second you send traffic to your affiliate link through Google adwords. However, this takes some prior experience to master, such as being able to pick the appropriate keywords.45. Can you code software? If so then you should code a software that will fix a much needed problem, there are many software coders selling their inventions online for good money.46. Offer online tutoring. There are always people looking to learn something new and the Internet makes it not only easier for you to do so but also effective. Never before have there been such an easier way to communicate with individuals live from all the way across the globe. By having your own website on your own server, you will help make yourself stand out from the majority of your competition.47. Like sports? Make a sports site of some sort and monetize it with one of the methods that i mentioned earlier. Golf is a very expensive sport which makes this a good niche to tap into.48. Start a website that relies 100% on backends. This is an easy way to make money and to also get individuals to sign up to your website. Just look at ebay, and paypal. Both websites are FREE to join and sign up but there are many hidden fees. It costs every time you receive money through paypal, and it costs every time you sell something on ebay, it relies 100% on backend sells a nice and effective business structure.49. Try network marketing. One of the fastest ways that an individual can grow their business is by leveraging the resources of others and a lot of beginning online business owners are always looking for other web masters to partner with. If you can help broker or bring webmasters together, then this may be a profitable business for you in the end. You could charge money for each connection that is made.50. Online dating is a popular niche and there are many affiliate programs that pay you for each lead that you give them which can be some easy money if you know a lot of people. Or, if you have a unique idea you can go about forming your own dating site.51. Form a network that will connect people. Whether its to connect old high school friends, old college friends, long lost friends, singles looking for dates, or people looking to share anything. These types of sites usually do very well and usually grow fast because of the built in viral mechanisms in them. Just look at youtube, worth over 1 billion dollars and is no more then two years old. It makes it easy for people to share things with their friends… the powerful aspect of viral marketing.Conclusion
In conclusion of this article 51 surefire ways to make money online, i wanted to show people who are new to internet marketing or who are interested in making money online that there are ways (and lots of them) to make money online.The options are limitless so you just need to find out what you think will be the most suitable way for you because everyone has different interests A couple of suggestions, i would recommend concentrating on a couple of these ways to make money… there are but so many hours in a day and the more rabbits you try to chase the less you may actually catch. Also, some tips that i mentioned are for building up short term money, short term money is like quick cash.You need it to get money so that you can reinvest in your business, but its nothing to build an online business on. So, what i recommend is try experimenting with some of these techniques and once you start making small money thats GOLD! You already done the first step you just need to keep testing and tweaking your experiments until you can maximize the most profit out of it and always go with building businesses as opposed to keep getting quick money… a business is much more profitable and reliable. Take care and hope you enjoyed.

The Best Budget Decorating Blogs for All Your Interior Needs

Whether you’re in the market for a major interior overhaul or you’re simply looking to give your home a quick and easy update, chances are you’ve spent some time online hunting for ideas and inspiration. That said, it can be pretty deflating to stumble upon a look you love only to discover the price to achieve it is well above your budget.

Fortunately, there are some killer home decorating blogs that show you how to refresh, revive, and fall in love with your home anew without breaking the bank. For a home that looks far more expensive than it costs to create, check out the following blogs for all of the interior inspiration and DIY tutorials you’ll ever need.

Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5

Welcome back to the week 5 update for the One Room Challenge. Check out the blog posts and updates for week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4 if you missed them. It’s crunch time now and I’ll be honest… I don’t know that this project will be completely wrapped up for the reveal date. The great thing is the reveal and hitting a deadline is not the only goal of reason for this challenge. Ultimately having a fully functional and hopefully beautiful bathroom is where we want to end up even it things are a bit delayed.

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.

When we left off last time the countertops had been templated, the trim was freshly painted and the hardware had been ordered. The hardware took about 1 week to arrive. We chose the Menlo Park 4″ pull from Schlub in chrome because I think the pull has the perfect mix of square and some rounded elements that make it a great transitional hardware option. We went with all pulls for the drawers and doors since the knob option in that line weren’t our favorite.

Guest Bathroom Reno: Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5

The quartz countertops are now installed and things can be put back together. Rectangle, undercount sinks were also purchased through the fabricator. The Marble look quartz from Pental and it is gorgeous with the warm gray veins running throughout. For the edge went for a flat polish eased edge for a clean, simple look.

Guest Bathroom Reno: Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5

Two days after the quartz countertops were installed the tile installer came back to finish up tiling the niches, installing the tile base and grout everything.

Guest Bathroom Reno: Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5

The electoral is being relocated for the new lights. There are some drywall and painting touch ups to do and plumbing fixtures to be hooked up. Plus adding all the finishing touches ???? All those little things like towel hooks, curtain rod, and accessories will bring this whole thing together.

Townhome Remodel Phase 1

It’s been too long since I’ve updated and even longer since this work has been started. This is me sharing remodel updates, mostly for myself (but also for my nagging family members). I’m sharing photos of the progress that has been made while also document the craziness that has gone on. This is just the beginning of the remodel.

Prior to moving in I had 3-4 weeks where my apartment lease overlapped with the possession of my townhome. This allowed me, with the amazing help of my family, to paint, tear-out carpet and somewhat put back together the upstairs portion of my place so that I could have a clean room to put a bed. At least one that wasn’t completely torn apart. One area that felt more livable that the rest. If you haven’t seen or don’t remember these are the before photos from when I took possession. To list it out here are the main things that I was tacking during those week prior to me moving in.

Phase 1 Remodel Projects
ripping out baseboard, carpet and tack strips upstairs and preparing for new hard surface flooring. (this flooring will go throughout minus the stairs and bathrooms/laundry)
installing flooring upstairs (one of my installers did this)
mostly gutting the master bathroom
installing a new tub and rough in plumbing for the master and powder bath
ordering and installing a rift white oak vanity for the master
Painting (and priming where needed) the ceilings and walls of the bedrooms. Caulking and painting the crown molding in the master
replacing and upgrading the baseboard heater in the master and patch the drywall
painting the hallway and down through the stairwell
adding skirt board to the stairs
installing new carpet and pad on the stairs (my carpet installer from work did this)
removing upper cabinets on the fridge side in the kitchen
partially demoing the wall diving the kitchen (prepare to move switches, outlets, heater and thermostat)
removing drywall on wall next to bar in dining area
painting the downstairs powder bath and removing vanity to prepare for a new floating vanity
Those were the main projects that took place and then I moved in the day after Thanksgiving. Getting rid of the original, nasty cat carpet and new flooring made a huge difference to the upstairs. Also neutralizing and lightening the paint made things feel so much more fresh. I still have no baseboards but I’ll get on that one day! For now here are some photos that I snapped along the way.

I bought a townhouse: The before

It’s been a while since been posting on here but I have some new updates and projects that I have been working on. Last summer into fall I was house hunting while knowing the lease on my apartment would be expiring end of the 2019. It felt a little crazy but was a fun process for me. After a bunch of searching I found and closed on a new home!

I was lucky enough to have a few weeks of overlap with my apartment (I ended up moving out 1 month early) so I was able to get started on projects and updates prior to moving in. I’ll share more about those in the coming weeks (there are still so many unfinished things!) but for now I think it’s best to start with some before photos. Also, follow along on Instagram where I post current project updates more often. The pictures show it in the state I bought it in. It’s a great first place to me and was functional as-is but as you might expect I’m here to make things my own by doing updates that I will enjoy while living here and that will also add value and functionality to the space down the line when I sell… or maybe even keep it as a rental. My dog, Nova, has been enjoying the space as well ???? There are a couple of things to miss about my Bothell apartment but I am very ready to have my own place and space.

Guest Bathroom Remodel Sources

In 2017 the guest bathroom was remodeled. You can see more photos and read about that here. Almost everything came out and all new things went back in. From emails and comments people have been asking for sources so I have rounded up what I could in this post to share paint colors, products and links that I could find for the bathroom.

Bathroom Sources and Details:
Wall color: BM Balboa Mist
Trim and door color: BM Chantilly Lace
Floor Tile: Pental Mark Chrome 12×24 matte
Shower tile: Jeffrey Court Weather Gray 4×12 gloss subway
Niche tile: Daltile clio mosaic
Bathtub: Maax Rubix tub
Cabinet: Spencer Cabinets – painted BM Cape May Cobblestone
Countertop: Pental Quartz Misterio polished 3cm
Cabinet hardware: Schaub Menlo Park Pull in chrome
Faucets: Hansgrohe Metris single handle in chrome
Shower trims: Kohler slide bar kit, wall mount supply and Hansgrohe tub spout in chrome
Mirrors: Homegoods
Towel Hooks: Delta Tolva robe hook in chrome