Before and Afters

Our Home!

Living Room:

Done - Scraped popcorn ceilings and repainted white. Painted trim white. Moved our furniture in.

To Do- Paint walls (I'm thinking a light green/grey), Possibly paint fireplace (thoughts?), knock out entry way vertical beams, paint built ins, add recessed lights, change light fixtures

Living Room Before (view of the fire place)

Living Room Before (view of the front door)

Living Room After - Don't mind Wilbur, he tries to make it into every picture I take

Master Bedroom

Done- Paint Walls, Change blinds, Scrape popcorn ceiling and repaint white, paint closet white. Move in our furniture

To- Do- Change closet doors for a barn door, update light fixtures, add/change decor

Master Bedroom Before (view from hall door)

Master Bedroom Before (view from master bath)

Hi Wilbur

Master Bath:

Done- Repainted, new mirror, fan installed

To- Do- Repaint vanity, refinish shower, add towel bars, add more storage

Master Bath Before

Master Bath Before

Master Bath After (Doesn't it look so much bigger? The power of paint!)

Master Bath After ( I use the tins for my makeup - easily accessible but off the counter)

Mud Room:

Done- Repaint walls and cabinets, scrape popcorn ceilings, update light fixtures
To- Do- Add more shelving, Repaint hutch, add butcher block table

Mudroom Before

Mud Room Before - How about that wall paper?

Mud Room After

Stay tuned for the guest room, office, kitchen and dining room!

New Home

Hubs and I bought a new home! YAY!


It was quite an adventure buying our first home, but I think we were pretty lucky how smoothly the process went.

1. Number of houses we looked at before we found our dream house:
           We started looking around about 6 months before we finally bought our house. And it was probably the 4th or 5th time our realtor took us looking. I scoured Zillow and Realtor.com daily ( I actually found the house and asked her to show it to us).

2. Our wishlist:
        -   $150k or less
        -  3 bedroom/ 2 bath
        -   garage
        -   fireplace
        -   good yard
        -   good kitchen
        -   not necessarily "open" floor plan, but had to have a good flow.
        - Newer than 1960... preferably 1990 or newer.
        - No HOA, but good neighborhood

3. What we got:
       - on budget
       - 4 bedroom/2 bath (The master was not as spacious as some but the rest of the house made up for it, plus it was adequate for our needs)
       - garage
       - fireplace
       - huge yard (with some drainage issues that we will fix)
       - great kitchen
       - mudroom/ pantry/ laundry room
       - logical flow
       - 1975 but well maintained, cosmetic issues only
       - Okay neighborhood, Great Street, no HOA

4. Thoughts about the process:
          Before we were ready to buy I had found my dream house (but it did have an HOA). It was hard to let it go, but it helped me know the feeling I was looking for when I walked in the house. For a while I was starting to get discouraged, because it seemed like we just were not finding anything we felt was home and I wondered if it even existed or if we needed to just find a house and try to make it work, but when we walked in this house, it felt like home. It wasn't anything spectacular, but it met every single requirement on our list, and just felt like we belonged to each other. I was so glad that we didn't settle for something that didn't meet our needs. Luckily we weren't in any particular rush, so we could take our time, pray and wait for the right house. Kinda like dating :)

5. Doing your homework:
          Hubs and I tried to read up as much as possible, but honestly it was so overwhelming that we just tried to find people that were kind, helpful and trustworthy and get their advice. (We received a lot of advice, solicited and unsolicited- there's more than one way to skin a cat but apparently everyone thinks theirs is the best way) We may or may not have gotten the best deal ever, but we worked with people we trusted, could call anytime and get answers, the process was smooth, we had peace of mind, we got everything we asked for within our budget -  and that to me is priceless.

     
Before and after pictures of our home (So far!) found HERE.

Strengthsfinder

This week I decided to reread the Strengthsfinder 2.0 book and retake the test. Personalities, birth order and strengthsfinders are fascinating because they can teach us about ourselves and how we relate and work with others. I love having those aha moments when I finally realize why I am the way I am. And its normal! Well...at least explainable :)

I discovered that my top 5 are Empathy, Responsibility, Belief, Input and Arranger. 

I was a bit surprised at Input since I have a terrible memory but the rest were spot on.

We put so much emphasis on improving our weaknesses but it makes more sense to work out of our strengths instead. Obviously that's not always possible, but from now on I'm going to focus on my strengths and accepting my weaknesses. 

I would love to hear what yours are and how they influence you!

Achiever
People especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.

Activator
People especially talented in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient.

Adaptability
People especially talented in the Adaptability theme prefer to "go with the flow." They tend to be "now" people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time.

Analytical
People especially talented in the Analytical theme search for reasons and causes. They have the ability to think about all the factors that might affect a situation.

Arranger
People especially talented in the Arranger theme can organize, but they also have a flexibility that complements this ability. They like to figure out how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity.

Belief
People especially talented in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.

Command
People especially talented in the Command theme have presence. They can take control of a situation and make decisions.

Communication
People especially talented in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.

Competition
People especially talented in the Competition theme measure their progress against the performance of others. They strive to win first place and revel in contests.

Connectedness
People especially talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.

Consistency
People especially talented in the Consistency theme are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They try to treat everyone in the world with consistency by setting up clear rules and adhering to them.

Context
People especially talented in the Context theme enjoy thinking about the past. They understand the present by researching its history.

Deliberative
People especially talented in the Deliberative theme are best described by the serious care they take in making decisions or choices. They anticipate the obstacles.

Developer
People especially talented in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements.

Discipline
People especially talented in the Discipline theme enjoy routine and structure. Their world is best described by the order they create.

Empathy
People especially talented in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others' lives or others' situations.

Focus
People especially talented in the Focus theme can take a direction, follow through, and make the corrections necessary to stay on track. They prioritize, then act.

Futuristic
People especially talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.

Harmony
People especially talented in the Harmony theme look for consensus. They don’t enjoy conflict; rather, they seek areas of agreement.

Ideation
People especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.

Includer
People especially talented in the Includer theme are accepting of others. They show awareness of those who feel left out, and make an effort to include them.

Individualization
People especially talented in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.

Input

People especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.

Intellection
People especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.

Learner
People especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.

Maximizer
People especially talented in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.

Positivity
People especially talented in the Positivity theme have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.

Relator
People especially talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.

Responsibility
People especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.

Restorative
People especially talented in the Restorative theme are adept at dealing with problems. They are good at figuring out what is wrong and resolving it.

Self-Assurance
People especially talented in the Self-Assurance theme feel confident in their ability to manage their own lives. They possess an inner compass that gives them confidence that their decisions are right.

Significance
People especially talented in the Significance theme want to be very important in the eyes of others. They are independent and want to be recognized.

Strategic
People especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

Woo
People especially talented in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person. 

Copyright © 2005, 2007 The Gallup Organization, Princeton, NJ. All rights reserved. 32

A New Year and a Fresh Start

"She loved life and it loved her right back."
She- Kobi Yamada

This is going to be a good year. I can just feel it.
For one thing we started the year with 2 cars, no injuries and no illnesses - a first for the Mertz fam!

With hopes and dreams comes hard decisions, dedication, change and hard work. This year will be full of the above and I'm praying and working hard to prepare for these challenges. Here are a few of my goals for the new year!

Aviation/ Career:

1.  CFI (Certified Flight Instructor)
 I'm trying really hard to get enough hours for my ATP before my written expires. (see #2) This will help me reach those goals. It will also help solidify my knowledge and improve my skills to gain more responsibilities in my current job.

2. ATP (Airline Transport Pilot)
This is required for a career in charter or the airlines to fly certain planes or act as a captain. (Very simplified for my non flying friends) I need the hours to take this in August before my written expires!

Personal: (Disclaimer- some of these are very random!)

3. Water- Drink at least one Camelbak water bottle a day. ( This has been so hard!- not the drinking part but the having to pee like 15 times a day part. I kinda prefer dehydration haha)

4. Dryer Lint- Remove EVERY time (Hubby Pet Peeve)

5. Laundry- unwad my jeans and socks (HPP)

6. Work outs- 1 early morning gym session and Toneitup work outs the rest of the week. These girls are my trainers! They post great free workouts that I can do on the road and are fun in the process.

7. Kitchen Routine- Fill up water bottles,  Brita and ice cube trays (HPP :) ). Set coffee out for the next day, sweep and wipe down counters. When I wake up in the morning I feel ready to start the day instead of picking up from the night before!

8. Budget- Hubs and I finally created a budget and we have daily spending sheets to fill out through out the month. He then updates the budget a few times so that we can see how much we've spent in each department. So far it has worked really well for us and we are excited to see how we can be better stewards of God's money :)

9. Cleaning Routine- This is one I'm really excited about. Up till now I would designate one day as cleaning day, or clean as it looked dirty. I inherited some clean genes so it never got too out of hand (although I am nothing compared to some of my family members...) I have a new organization system that I will go into more detail later but basically I made myself daily chore cards to keep the house in a constant state of cleanliness with just a little cleaning each day. If I'm gone on a trip I can just check all the days I was gone for and double or triple up.

This is what I based my organization system on: home storage solutions

I follow this lady on Instagram which inspired me to create my own cleaning system: www.cleanmama.net/blog

10. Devotionals- Read a chapter each day, memorize 1 Peter 1 with accountability partners.

11. Attitude- Life is sweet. Life is simple. Even though our life can get busy, I keep reminding myself that this is such a special season and to enjoy the whole process.

What are some of YOUR goals for the year?