Diversions, Domestic Blitz

Dreaming of more space

We’ve been feeling slightly claustrophobic in our house lately — and not only because we just hosted 19 people in our house for Thanksgiving. Our house was built in the mid-’50s. One of the bedrooms is pretty tiny, the kitchen is serviceable but cramped when more than one person is in there, and it would be nice if Rockford had a space he could use as an office.

The real estate market in our town would make it easy to sell our house, but it would also make it tough for us to find something with the space we’d like in an area we’d like that’s in our budget. So we’ve toyed around with moving, but I don’t think it’s in the cards.

We’re currently talking about the possibility of either building a tiny house or converting the garage, which of course means I’ve been googling “garage conversions” quite a bit. There are some really beautiful conversions at Houzz — including a few that were turned into kitchens! — and some helpful info at Garages.About.Com and Money Pit.

My current garage-conversion dream moves the kitchen out there, with a half-bath, a laundry room and a ginormous pantry. I’m still trying to figure out what we’d do with the current kitchen. A formal dining room? A den? Who knows!

I’m not sure if it’ll happen, but I’m feeling inspired.

Diversions

The best Friday in recent memory

ggearly

And yet, I was up at 7am. I didn’t set my alarm or anything. I was just so congested from all the smoke in our air recently that I couldn’t sleep, so I begrudgingly figured I’d go ahead and start my day. And then I remembered that today was “Gilmore Girls” day, and all the begrudge went away!

finally-when-someone-asks-why-you-love-gilmore-girls-so-much

I finished the first episode before Rockford and the kids woke up, and I figured I’d need to take a break for at least a few hours before I could watch the second one. But then my dear, sweet husband told me to go to my room for a Gilmore marathon, which he then fueled with sweet tea and Thanksgiving leftovers.

I cried three times over the course of the first episode and maybe once an episode after that. Those infamous last four words left me certain that they’ll do a second season or a movie.

And then we went to see “Moana,” and we did a little Christmas shopping, and we put up the tree and the indoor decorations, and now I’m watching the “Winter” episode of “Gilmore Girls” again.

Today was not, perhaps, the most productive day I’ve ever had, but it was a rather fine day.

Flotsam / Jetsam, sponsored

An opportunity to partake in Black Friday without leaving your house

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Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post for Mabel’s Labels. Nichole was compensated for this post. All opinions are her own.

Remember back in June when I told you the kids were going to camp? And I told you I was labeling everything? Specifically, that I was labeling everything with Mabel’s Labels because they stay on for.ev.er?

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It may be too late to label all of your Tupperware ahead of turkey time — Happy Thanksgiving, by the way! — but it isn’t too late to get them ready for your holiday get-togethers. Mabel’s Labels is currently running a Black Friday through Cyber Monday sale. It includes 40 percent off of Tag Mates, mini custom name stickers, preschool shoe labels and the starter label pack. The sale runs from 9am Eastern time today until midnight on Monday, November 28.