Hi everyone! 

Here's the post that you all have been jonesing for: an update on our life and current pictures of Daniel. 

Hmm...where to begin. 

Well, since the last time I wrote, things have changed a bit. I guess I should just jump right in. Sorry if things become a jumbled, update-full mess. 

Since summer is in full swing around here, Daniel and I have been spending a large part of our week walking around the neighborhood, hanging out with friends at the playground, and enjoying the warmer weather in general. I have learned that Daniel, like myself, doesn't care too much for the hot and muggy weather that Western NY can bring...so he, lucky duck, enjoys a mostly clothes free day whenever possible. 

Jonathan has been working hard and is in the midst of making a big transition with his business. He will be going solo this summer and be the sole proprietor of his business as of July 1st. This is a big transition not only for him, but for our family. Our house has expanded (not physically really, but more in functionality) to include his business office and a place to house all of the equipment he uses on a daily basis. Our garage has never looked better (because Jonathan built in a beautiful organization system for all of his supplies) and our house has never been more cramped (because now we have a full "corporate" office in our living space. After I get things fully moved in and organized, there will be pictures in a separate post on those adjustments. 

Daniel is growing sooo quickly (he just celebrated his 11 month birthday yesterday) and ohmygoodness, he is into everything. Now I officially understand that my house was NOT baby proof. We still need a bit more work on that front, but it is getting there. It has basically involved moving around a bunch of things and making sure that the stuff at Daniel's level is appropriate for him to be playing with. What a challenge! I guess for those of you who may not know, it would be a good time to tell you that Daniel has learned to crawl, walk along furniture, and recently, he has learned to climb stairs. My goodness, they learn fast!! 

His favorite "word" is "oooo!" which has led to him receiving the affectionate nickname of  Little Oo Oo, from his great grandparents. We also took away his binkie this past month. We decided it was time, as he was constantly throwing it out of his crib at nap/night time and crying until he was given it back. The transition went smoother than I thought it would and the first time he went to sleep without it, he only cried for 20 minutes if I remember correctly. The only side effect I have noticed is that his naps aren't as long anymore. But who knows if that is directly a result of taking the binkie away or just a normal thing as he gets older. 

Hmm, what else? 

Maybe a bunch of pictures will help to finish up this post? I plan on doing a few more posts full of updates on the house, Jonathan's work space, our garden, and maybe a smattering of other things. We'll just have to see what I feel like writing about. 

Happy Tuesday! 

An Update: Dining Room Floors

Last week, I also worked on the floors in the dining room. I would put a coat of paint on the walls and then work on the floors. If you remember, we had pulled up the carpet in the dining room only to find tar bordering our entire floor. It wasn't a huge deal, but we worried that the humidity during the summer would make the tar sticky. Sticky tar = unhappy homeowners. So, we set out to find a solution.

Thankfully, a friend of ours recommended a spray that is supposed to be fantastic for all things sticky and tacky. It is called Contractors' Solvent and had a wonderful orange smell to it. We were told to spray it on, let it sit for five minutes, and then wipe it off.

I sprayed it, rolled a coat of paint on the walls--while I crossed my fingers that the juice would work--and then proceeded to rub off the tar! Multiple dish towels and a few coats later, the solvent worked wonders! It took multiple applications and a bit of scraping, but our floors are now tar free. I'm sure that all of that elbow-grease will pay off this summer...my feet will thank me later.

Now, all we need to do is put down an area rug, set up our dining room table, and invite over some friends! Our dining room is definitely taking shape.

P.S. Don't worry about that dark border. The tar stained the floor in certain places. At least we were able to get up the sticky part!

We would totally recommend this product in the future! We were really impressed. Now, do you have any heavy-duty cleaning products you swear by? We use white vinegar and baking soda for pretty much everything, but sometimes you need to pull out the "big guns." What do you swear by?