Happy Birthday my bundle of Laughter

So there is something about your child turning 5 years old that just breaks your heart.{ In a good way if that possible} They are a "kid" now. Not a baby , not a toddler... a full blown kid. My Isaac 5 years ago gave me the best gift ever. Being a mom. His name means laughter and boy have I laughed these past 5 years. Sometimes I laughed because the only other option was to cry. Nonetheless. He makes me laugh and brings joy to all those around him. I believe that a child's birthing process tells you a lot about their life and what is to come. Isaac took his time. He was very patient and not in a hurry. That is my little boy to this day. Takes his time and is very methodical about a lot of things. I love it. Not when we are rushing out of the door, but even then I need to remind myself life goes too fast and I need to take a minute to smell the flowers. Flowers. My son knows I love them and every chance he gets, whether they belong to a business' lawn or the dandelion out back, he bring me flowers. He makes sure he hugs me everyday , tells me I'm beautiful, and kisses my cheek. He is the sweetest thing I have ever had in my life.
 He LOVES Red Lobster. So we went out for his birthday dinner, since he already had his party on Sunday. As I sat there watching him eat his ice cream { as only creepy mothers can } I started to tear up. My baby was in my arms 5 years ago in a little 9.5 lb bundle of perfection. I savor these moments and hope they don't go buy too quickly. I love you my sweet Isaac . Happy Birthday!

Staining Concrete Floor Tutorial

So I have been planning on redoing my kitchen and dining room floor for a while. As we all know, replacing floors is not cheap. I had a cheap ugly laminate floor that had lost all of its luster and shine. So one day I got sick of looking at it and started to google and pinterest cheap ways to redo floors. I came across concrete staining . Seemed pretty easy and cheap. So I embarked on a very easy journey.
 First I removed all the molding and quarter round. You are going to want to be careful with the molding, unless you are going to buy new ones. I was looking for cheap, so I saved the molding. Ripped up the laminate with a hammer { very stress relieving}. I do recommend Gloves. My hands are pretty tore up.

Once that was done I vacuumed with a shop vac all the dust and dirt. I then mixed Washing soda , borax , and a little of dish soap in a bucket.

I then just poured the whole bucket onto the concrete and began scrubbing with a steel wool sponge.

You can use heavy duty machinery , but didn't want to spend the money to rent one, plus the sponge got into the corners and got the paint spots up pretty easy. Once it was scrubbed ( I recommend knee pads) I vacuumed it up with the wet vac. Then went over with a scraper to make sure there wasn't any major bumps.

Some people use concrete filler to get a completely smooth look for divots , but I didn't care that much. So I didn't .If you do be sure to read the instructions.

I washed the floor again with just dish soap and went over it again with the wet vac.

After it dried I applied my first coat of stain. I bought it at Lowes and needed about one can mixed for both my kitchen and dining area. They have several colors to choose from . I went dark.

 

I went with semi transparent in case I liked the look of the first coat. I didn't. I applied it with a paint roller and you could see everything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So when it dried I hand brushed painted another coat mixed with some old paint I had.

I swiped some down in a half circle motion then went over it with the stain to blend it in. I was much happier with this result.

After about 2 hours it was dry and I went over it with a wet look sealer. Let it dry for 2 hours and went over it again with another coat.

I put a third coat on the next morning to make sure it was sealed cause I am that person. It is now pretty and dry but will not put anything heavy on it like chairs or table until it has cured for 3 days. I am able to walk on it and everything but want to make sure it cures right.

Maintenance is simple. Sweeping and mopping. No harsh cleaners for mopping . Dish soap and warm water. Hope you enjoy your project as much as I .