Poof!

So, I have a confession to make. I really dislike carpet. Specifically, the wall-to-wall kind. Now, don't freak out on me if you have carpet. I don't dislike YOU, or even your carpeting...just the idea of carpeting. And the reason is my Hubby and his beautiful little lungs.

Hubby has asthma, and therefore Reilly has it in her genes, and therefore I am a freak about what is living in this house that I cannot see. For example: mold spores, dust mites, other horrible particles that live in things like pillows and carpets and other fabrics. I hate how unclean it seems. To me, you wash you clothes every time you wear them, you wash your sheets constantly, but nobody shampoos their rugs weekly. And I'm saying...I feel like they need it! If asthma-inducing things can live in those fabrics that we clean all the time, then isn't my carpet just a breeding ground for them? So these thoughts about my unclean carpet and my Hubby's lungs have plagued me since we moved in. And Hubby too, he's not a fan. Plus - the carpets were there when we moved into the house. I hate the idea of something being there already that wasn't hours - not knowing how it was treated before.

Don't get me wrong - if I go to someone's house and they have carpet, I love the way it feels! I even love the way it looks. Just not for our house, our family, our little sneezing, coughing, possibly asthmatics crawling around 2 inches from it. I'm more of an area rug- through it away in a few years type of person.

So finally, we did something about it. And I am so so excited I just want to swim across our floors.

Kitchen 2 days ago:


Kitchen today:

[Note: I realize there is not carpet in my kitchen. But don't get me started on the linoleum floors circa 1989 that used to live here. These floors, stained and lifting, are the first reason we wanted to replace our floors. They had to go.]

Our living room 2 days ago:
(HI BABY!)

Our living room today:
(HI BABY! I see your bald spot.)
The floors are laminate planks, in the color Country Pine. It has grooves in it, that when you walk on it, it feels like grains of wood. It's amazing, and knotty, and natural.

Notice in the above picture, that we rearranged the furniture a bit. We moved the end table to the other side of the couch, to switch things up a bit. And now out picture frame cluster is off center. You know what that means. TAKE MORE PICTURES! Yay.

We got the bathroom done too, but that is not quite finished, so those pictures will follow. Our good friend/cousin in law did our floors for us. He had fun being home with Reilly and I. Trust me, he did. You don't have to ask him, just take my word for it.

He thinks Reilly eats constantly, and that I ask a lot of questions. Hey, I am fascinated by contracting and building! And I need to know things. I like to be informed. Hubby would come home and say, "How many questions did she ask you today?" It was funny. But he answered all my questions so nicely, and I learned so much! So everybody wins. Well, I don't know how he wins in that situation...but oh well. He did an amazing amazing job.

And the bottom line is, this little crawler now has the newest, cleanest place to rest her little tushy while she plays. And there is a lot less for her to find in the carpets and put in her mouth. (Yuck.) Mainly, because I haven't stopped sweeping. I love sweeping now. And I'm going to get a Swiffer Wet Jet and my life will then be complete. (Did I just say that?)

And Hubby's lungs are free and clear to breathe and...well really just breathe effectively, that's all they need to do and I'll be happy.

Next home improvement job: repaint the living room. Hubs and I are not fans of the sponge, although I appreciate the art and talent it takes to do it. We like more clean, plain, fresh walls as far as paint colors go. We are kind of on a home improvement high right now - and we don't want to come down! Bring on the projects!!


And if you'll excuse her, Reilly needs to get back to her reading. Notice, she is left to read this book to herself, because Mama can't get through it without bawling her eyes out. And then Reilly stares at me like i have 10 heads and says, "Uh, Mama? Can you get a grip on yourself and finish this book please?"

Love & Country Pine,

Dirt Road Mama