Lately we have been taking it slow, ignoring the glaring eyesores during the workweek and attacking projects with fervor on the weekends. Honestly there doesn't seem to be any other way to do it, there just isn't enough time in the day. I am still unpacking boxes and ummm... duffel bags,don't judge me, it's actually a really easy way to pack clothes!
This weekend, for some reason, we focused on the exterior of the house. Michael has been itching to cut down the weeds out front, which were about 3 1/2 feet tall, guarding our front stoop like the entrance to Jumanji. Also M tore out all the leaves, weeds and garbage surrounding our tiny tree at the curb, and laid down some brick.
We plan on putting down some ground cover soon. I scrubbed our front stoop with a brush and generous amounts of Bon Ami scouring powder, I couldn't believe how white they became, and they are actually marble not dirty concrete!
I also gave the kitchen a Darby level scour, and used our new Shop Vac on all the baseboards to get all the nasty bits up. When I was pulling the 3 prong out of the socket, it wouldn't come out. The plastic socket cover actually started to pull away from the wall so I grasped the plug a bit more firmly and instantly felt my skull vibrating, Yelping, I ripped my hand away from the plug, which was still firmly in the outlet, tripped over the Shop Vac and exited the kitchen. M eventually unplugged it for me : )
Next weekend we plan on mouse-proofing the house, I will post some pics of some really sketchy looking holes in the floor and baseboards, please comment with advice or tips!
So is that a kevlar on top of that duffle, or some sort of cloche hat? ;-)
ReplyDeleteOh mice problems, we have had a few! I recommend the good ol' fashioned snap traps, with no need for baiting so long as you run them along side the wall which is where they scurry. (There is also no need for the PETA-friendly trap boxes, cause they don't work. And then where do you release them?? This was a always a tricky question for us.)
ReplyDeleteIf you are lucky enough to visibly see all your holes, fill in with that expanding foam. However, this can be fruitless if you share walls with neighbors and if some holes in the exterior are covered up or hard to reach. Please note that any hole larger than your thumb is an entrance for these cute marsupials. I have spoken with an exterminator and he says that mice just come with city living, especially in old houses. So I have come to expect a run in a few times a year, depending on the amount of rain.
But most importantly, if you have holes around your walls but you don't find any tiny footballs of fun, then you definitely don't have mice problems (well, at the present moment at least). When they are there, they will haunt you with their poop and their tiny feet pattering over your appliances and rustling in your crackers and before you know it, all your favorite programs are watched on mute while you banefully scour your home for their existence.
Anyway, I'll call you soon, and good luck!
It's actually a cloche hat! Good call Seth and damn Laura where have you been hiding? Do I need to set out a wooden Victory trap just for you? What should I place on it? American Spritis and Labatt Blue.
ReplyDeletexo