Okay people. So Spring has sprung, meaning it’s time to open the curtains and start airing out your respective habitats. Spring cleaning is one of my favorite things. We bought our house two years ago, and it’s still in a state of deferred maintenance. There are so many things we want to do. When we purchased the home we were under a lot of pressure. I had just divorced and the six of us were all living in an apartment. The end of the lease was quickly approaching, and we were desperate for a five bedroom house so that the kids could have their own spaces. Essentially we were looking for a house that would help blend our family and help heal from the trauma of divorce. The very first house we looked at was the one we ended up buying. Big, airy, and needing a lot of updates, this is the first house I have bought that I have completely fell in love with. A five-minute drive to school. Huge backyard with an impressive amount of established trees. A large walkout basement. Lots of bathrooms. A screened in lanai and deck that overlooks the street and park behind the house.
Some of the larger projects I have in mind for the property: updating countertops and sink in kitchen, new carpet upstairs and in basement, gutting master bathroom. Alas, large projects are not possible now. Gutting a kitchen with four kids? Not fun I would imagine.
This spring I will be focusing on Deferred Maintenance. What the hell is that? Deferred Maintenance is the practice of postponing maintenance activities such as repairs on both real property (i.e. infrastructure) and personal property (i.e. machinery) to save costs, meet budget funding levels, or realign available budget monies (I googled it). The Stoner Mom’s definition is more like: The practice of postponing maintenance activities to get high or otherwise do other stuff. Bam.
Why does deferred maintenance matter? Things you see all the time, that don’t work, bring you dowwwwwn. Like clutter, their presence in your life has a daily negative impact on you. Aesthetically, they scream out “the homeowner doesn’t care”. It’s different from home improvement projects that improve upon something that is already functioning. Those increase the aesthetic, value, whatever. Fixing shit around the house makes a huge difference and has a very large impact on your day-to-day life. The best part about tackling a bunch of deferred maintenance projects is the immense feeling of satisfaction that you’ve fixed several things that have bugged you. Getting these things done will end up positively changing, your housework routine, how you spend your free time, and the atmosphere of the house.
This spring and summer I will be showcasing small and simple projects around the house that have a big impact. I’ll be addressing a lot of deferred maintenance projects, as well as doing a lot of “pick me ups” in different corners of the home.
With that I present to you my first Spring Cleaning project: my husband’s birthday bar cart makeover.
Bar cart Birthday Surprise
This small metal rack from Ikea has served as a catchall in the dining room, until I pick out a proper sideboard (soon!). As you can see, the top is for liquor, with various drinking necessities heaped into a basket tray. For my beloved husband’s birthday I decided to give him the gift of moving my junk off this rack and making him a proper dry bar.
Ingredients for a Basic Home Bar
Liquor– Do not buy a bunch of “essentials” that you and your man don’t even drink. Presents are about the receiver! My husband drinks bourbon, whiskey, and rye. Recently through city-scouring and talks with coworkers he discovered this incredibly cheap bourbon that he loves. Something about Pappy VanWinkle, Idk. Anyway, I grabbed a jug of bourbon and then found one of my favorite gin, Hendricks. Other gins I recommend are Leopold Bros. and St George Terroir Gin. I also wanted a bottle of vodka, but knowing he and I are likely to not drink it often, I chose an acceptable vodka that doesn’t cost very much. And what’s Vodka without Vermouth? Lastly I found a bottle of my favorite liqueur, Pimms #1. The Pimms Cup is the official drink of summer at The Stoner Mom casa. Don’t worry, I will share the recipe.
Mixers– My husband loves mixing his bourbon with ginger beer, so I was sure to get several bottles of it. In addition I picked up club soda, tonic water and ginger ale.
Extras– Olives, cherries, toothpicks, bitters, limes and lemons. These are the details that add spice and glamor to your drinks.
Glassware– With space at a premium I don’t want cocktail specific stemware taking up room. Standard rocks glasses for him, plus a new set of stemless wine glasses that double as cocktail glasses for my occasional drink.
Bar Tools– Rounding up the well stocked bar are the tools of the trade. A cocktail shaker, bottle opener, wine opener, muddler.
Things I Still Need To Do
- Replace beloved cow print with tall art piece. Likely something generic I grab in a stoned moment of determination at Target, but MAYBE I’ll find a cool print on Etsy or something. Idk.
- Paint. I hate, hate, hate, the wall color. I like to paint my shit myself, but the main level of the home scares me. Vaulted ceilings. I may need scaffolding. It will likely be some shade of grey.
- Get more bitters. Orange and lemon.
- Wine rack on wall. A semi low, wall mounted wine rack.
- Mat for liquor shelf.
- Small ice bucket.
There you have it! This was a fun project that took a trip to the liquor store and thirty minutes alone at home. Hope you guys enjoyed, until next time!
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