My $500 Kitchen Remodel

For those following along with Our Home Renovation Project, I thought I'd share an update on my kitchen now that it is pretty much finished. (I am calling it a "remodel." But, really ... it's more of an upgrade. Still, I think it's pretty amazing considering the small amount of money we actually put into the whole room.)

We knew when we took possession of the house last summer that we would be updating some rooms and doing some remodeling projects prior to moving in. So, having the keys in hand didn't mean moving in right away. Instead, it meant DIY and renovation time. (We didn't have a set time to be out of our previous home, so we were able to take our time while doing the work.)

First up on our to-do list was the kitchen. Although we would have loved to have "gutted" the whole thing and started from scratch (or, rather would have loved to have been able to hire someone else  to come in to gut the whole thing and start from scratch), it just wasn't in our budget. So, we decided to embrace what was there and work with it to the best of our ability. We're not professionals and I'm sure there are those who would have done things differently, but we love how things turned out. It may not be considered a "high-end" kitchen, but we're thrilled with what we were able to accomplish on our own.

We were pleased with the layout of the kitchen, so we only (HA!) needed to update the cabinets, make some (major) improvements to the grout countertops, drywall over a built-in wall shelving area that we didn't care for (shown in the top BEFORE photo - on the long wall to the right), paint the room and install new trim. And, although I don't particularly love white appliances, the stove, dishwasher and fridge are in great shape and I can live with them for the time being. I, also, stained an existing island that I already had on hand from our previous home and I stained two large, antique oak cabinets that I already had. The massive amount of storage in those pieces is amazing and perfect for housing my collection of blog staging dishes, props and the like.

Our New House - Its Back-Story and Info on The Updates to Come

Back at the beginning of July, I shared with you my intention to take A Break from Blogging while we spent some time renovating and moving into a "new-to-us" home. We were just getting ready to head out on a family vacation at the time - a road trip out west from our home state of Michigan - and were coming home to begin work on the new place.

We just took possession of the house at the end of July, got the keys in our hands and have now started some minor work that we'll be doing ourselves while we wait for contractors to start work on the addition we're having added on.

We won't be relocating to the new house until most of the renovations are complete.

DIY Luscious Citrus Sugar Scrub with Free Printable

This Luscious Citrus Sugar Scrub is super simple to whip up and makes a great gift. I was floored when I realized I could make sugar body scrub so easily and inexpensively at home.

This scrub is a super luxurious treat for dry, weathered skin. If you prefer a more-coarse scrub, you can alter the amount of sugar you use to adjust the consistency. Some may prefer it rather oily and choose to use less sugar while some may enjoy it more-coarse. It's all about your preference ... just add more sugar or oil until you reach the consistency you like.

I am providing the printable I used for my labels (see bottom of post). They can be used to tie onto the containers with raffia or ribbon. Or, you can label the tops of your jars with the circle labels if the size is right. (Just right-click the printable to save to your computer, then print as a full page in high-resolution.)

A small spoon or scoop can be attached to the container with ribbon, if desired. I would encourage use of some type of spoon or similar item so that wet fingers aren't used to scoop out the product. (Getting water into the scrub can cause bacteria growth over time.) I would, also, discourage you from storing the container directly in the shower or tub. Keep in a dry place and scoop out what you need at time of use. (It's a good idea to pass this info on to the gift recipient if gifting.)

Vitamin E Oil is used in the "recipe" to help act as a natural preservative. The addition of sea salt can help, too, if desired.