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DIY Fever

October 7, 2014 by Julie 77 Comments

Good morning! How are you doing today? I’m all hopped up on caffeine because I had a free drink coupon to redeem at Starbucks this morning, so I obviously wanted to get the most bang for my buck and ordered a large cinnamon dolce cappuccino.

Starbucks Venti Cappuccino

Caffeine always makes me chatty but it can also make me focus and feel more productive, so I’m hoping to ride the productivity train through the morning.

DIY Fever Sets In

Last night Ryan and I went to Lowe’s, also known as our home away from home. I’m pretty sure the folks there are going to know us by name soon. We walked away with a new washer and dryer because our washing machine broke down two weeks ago. We’ve already been through one washing machine and one dryer that we got on craigslist (the dryer actually caught on fire), so we decided to actually replace our latest craigslist machines with a nice set that will hopefully last for years and years and not just put a band aid over our crappy washer/dryer situation.

My main criteria was a high-efficiency top-loading washing machine so the machine would use less water and be more energy efficient. I was pumped when we found one on sale that got great reviews, so it was a win all around.

Samsung Washing Machine

It will be delivered on Wednesday! Clean clothes, here we come!

While we were there, I picked up some paint and other supplies so I can get started on our laundry room makeover and wrap up some projects in my home office. I’ll be sure to take you guys along for the ride since I’m definitely a DIY novice and have a lot to learn. I’m actually looking forward to tackling some projects around the house! (Feel free to remind me that I said this when I am sick of painting.)

Valspar Spray Paint

I spent a solid 30 minutes choosing a color for the laundry room last night and Ryan just laughed when I presented him with three paint samples that he assured me were “identical” shades of mint green. I ended up going with the Valspar Pantone Universe Bay color and left with a sample to try in our laundry room soon. I hope it works out!

Workout + Breakfast

My workout this morning took me to Pure Barre for the 6 a.m. class. My local studio has a challenge going on this month: 20 Pure Barre classes in 31 days. If you complete the challenge you save 65 percent off the following month’s membership. I’m all in!

After barre, I swung by Starbucks for my free drink before heading home to grab a quick breakfast (a carrot cake muffin and a handful of mixed nuts) before taking Sadie on a short morning walk.

Carrot Cake Muffin   mixed nuts

And now we’re all caught up!

Hope you’re having a wonderful Tuesday so far!

Questions of the Morning

  • Do you have any DIY projects on the horizon?
  • What is one DIY project you’ve tackled that turned out well?

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I'd love to connect with you! I am always so grateful when you let me know you tried one of my recipes or workouts and tag me in your photos or updates. Thank you so much!!!

Filed Under: Breakfast, Home Tagged With: breakfast, DIY, home improvement, muffin, paint

About Julie

My name is Julie and I am a full-time blogger, new mama, fitness enthusiast (certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor) and food fanatic (mostly healthy... but also not-so-healthy) living in North Carolina with my husband, dog and baby boy. Thank you for visiting Peanut Butter Fingers! I hope you enjoy little glimpses into my life and have fun trying the sweaty workouts I frequently share and making some of my favorite recipes along the way!

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Comments

  1. Mary says

    October 7, 2014 at 9:43 am

    You can’t go wrong with mint, that is going to be so cute! I’m really excited to see your finished laundry room!

    Reply
  2. Beth Lakin (@3UpAdventures) says

    October 7, 2014 at 9:47 am

    I’m totally living in DIY world right now! I’ve worked out an exchange of work in my rental in lieu of rent for the next few months and am in the middle of sheetrocking over the horrid 70s wood paneling in the whole place! They actually know me by name at the pro desk at Home Depot…. (And if all goes according to plan, it won’t be long after I finish here that ground will be broken on my house! Yikes.)

    I also used my free birthday Starbucks reward on a giant pumpkin spice latte. No reason to go small on the free drink!!!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      October 7, 2014 at 10:00 am

      Happy birthday, Beth!!! <3

      Reply
  3. Christina M says

    October 7, 2014 at 9:47 am

    Doing the same Pure Barre Challenge!! Let’s motivate each other! 🙂 My Pure Barre buddy hasn’t been easy to motivate lately! But – I did get her to buy a Cinnamon Dolce Cappuccino this morning – of course she’s in love and I think you need to become the new Starbucks spokeswoman for this drink since I’m sure you’ve converted 58 million of us to drink this!

    Definitely take us along your DIY ride! 🙂 That color sounds PERFECT!!

    Reply
  4. Ciara says

    October 7, 2014 at 9:48 am

    I have such a hard time picking paint colors – I always second guess myself. Just remember you can always paint over it!

    Also, are you going to do a home tour of your new house? I’m sure we’d all love to see what made you decide to pick the place!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      October 7, 2014 at 10:00 am

      Yes!!! I definitely hope to! Still getting things organized right now though, but hopefully soon!

      Reply
  5. Erin @ Her Heartland Soul says

    October 7, 2014 at 9:48 am

    Oh man I want to like DIY projects but I am usually horrible at them! Thankfully I live in an apartment right now so I can’t do too much damage. ;p

    Josh actually installed three photo shelves for a photo wall like a month ago and it’s still empty. I need to pick photos and buy some frames!

    Reply
  6. Brynn says

    October 7, 2014 at 9:50 am

    We had the same thing happen with our washer and dryer. Now we have a new top loader and it’s amazing! I love doing laundry! Haha

    Reply
  7. Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki says

    October 7, 2014 at 9:50 am

    Yay for new washer and dryers! I am really missing American dryers since moving to Europe, makes my laundry chore that much more irritating.

    Reply
  8. Angela @ HonestlyAngela says

    October 7, 2014 at 9:54 am

    I wish I was a diyer but I just never get around to it. Can’t wait to see your finished laundry room!

    Reply
  9. Kelly says

    October 7, 2014 at 9:55 am

    I’m doing the PB challenge too!! Ours in TX is 20 classes in 25 days – first winner gets a YEAR of free classes – woo hoo!!!

    Good luck! 🙂

    Kelly

    Reply
    • Julie says

      October 7, 2014 at 9:59 am

      Oh my gosh, that is AMAZING!!!!

      Reply
  10. Leah (goodnight cheese) says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:02 am

    Can’t say enough good things about the build-your-own closet from Ikea and the Elfa customizable pantry/spice cabinet system from The Container store (http://www.containerstore.com/elfa/index.htm).

    Reply
    • Julie says

      October 7, 2014 at 10:07 am

      The Elfa cabinet system looks amazing. Organizational heaven!

      Reply
  11. Carrie (This Fit Chick) says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:03 am

    I have not been DIY in a long time! I used to be all creative, but I haven’t had the opportunity yet– cant wait until I have a place I can do that! Sounds like a lovely morning-coffee makes me all chatty and hyped up too!

    Reply
  12. Selin says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:03 am

    Hi, Julie. We moved to our first house back in July and bought a new dishwasher from the same store you got the washer/dryer. Unfortunately, we had a negative experience, they brought damaged item twice. We ended up returning it and got it from somewhere else. I think there’s something wrong with the warehouse in Houston area – the staff also agreed with us. I just want to give you a heads up. Hope you will have a better experience. Enjoy the new house!

    Reply
  13. Jessica says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:05 am

    If you got the washer/dryer in the picture, I believe they play a song when they are done!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      October 7, 2014 at 10:06 am

      We did!! And this cracked me up — I wonder what little tune I can expect to hear!?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        October 7, 2014 at 10:17 am

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVOJ13sFeu4

        Here it is! I don’t notice it because they are in the basement of my home, but apparently some people find it annoying as shown in the video! I hope you like it though!

        Reply
  14. Skinny Fitalicious says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:08 am

    That coffee sounds so yummy! Any idea how many calories it has? I would love to treat myself. My birthday is coming up soon.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      October 7, 2014 at 10:16 am

      I’m not sure, but Starbucks has all of their nutrition facts on their website so I think you can customize it to see what they would be. 🙂

      Reply
  15. Michelle says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:10 am

    Do you feel like you’ve lost muscle since you’ve only been doing pure barre lately? I’ve recently started taking pure barre classes and I love them but don’t feel like going to gym later if I’ve already gone to the class. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      October 7, 2014 at 10:17 am

      Truthfully, no. I kind of expected to but I really haven’t noticed muscle loss.

      Reply
  16. Megan says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:12 am

    Since we moved into our first home 2 years ago, my mom is convinced that my husband goes to Home Depot too often and it must be his code word for his mistress :)! He has at least learned one helpful tip for girls taking too long with paint color selection… Have a glass of wine (or two or three) first! I become a confident color choosing expert!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      October 7, 2014 at 10:16 am

      LOL!!!

      Reply
  17. Ashley @ My Food N Fitness Diaries says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:23 am

    I totally go in DIY crazy phases. I do a ton of stuff for a few weeks and then get burned out and nothing happens for several months. Haha. Right now, nothing is happening… I have a few things on the horizon though. Just need to get some motivation to make it happen! I really do enjoy it once I get going on it, especially if it’s something Cody and I can do together. Have fun with the laundry room! I’m excited to see how it turns out. 🙂

    Reply
  18. Amanda @ Slimplify Life says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:32 am

    See, the thing is, I always TRY to DIY and then it’s such a major fail I just go buy it.

    Reply
    • Veronika says

      October 7, 2014 at 10:36 am

      Story of my life LOL

      Reply
  19. Alex says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:35 am

    I haven’t done any DIY house projects lately as our apartment is extremely small. I am kinda holding out hope we will move into a bigger place/ buy our own house within a year so I can so more of those house projects. Most of my DIY projects have been beauty and bath projects as of late. I’m enjoying these homemade varieties. 65% off? That’s a deal that surely can’t be missed!!

    Reply
  20. Christina says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:35 am

    Hi Julie!! Congrats on the new washer and dryer….I have a question I have been meaning to ask you…I see you doing Pure Barre a lot lately. I have one by me that I use to go to about 5 days a week, but I stopped because I noticed I was gaining weight. I think it was from the less amount of cardio I was doing…has that happened to you? Or do you still have cardio days mixed in? I am lost because I love barre classes, but think I need to mix in cardio to keep weight stable. Thanks :):)

    Reply
  21. Ashley Pitt @ A Lady Goes West says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:42 am

    I’ve done VERY little DIY projects in the past, but that’s mostly because of my living situation in a little rented city apartment. However, I would LOVE to paint an old dresser and make some gorgeous framed prints for a home one day. Enjoy owning your own little spot and making it yours. And BTW, that’s too bad about the washer and dryer. 🙂

    Reply
  22. Amanda @ Positively Amanda says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:44 am

    I always try DIY projects and end up failing miserably haha one day I’ll make some great!

    Reply
  23. Liz says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:44 am

    BE CAREFUL WITH MINT!!! I hope you got a sample! It tends to look WAY different on walls. I found out the hard way, after an expensive gallon of paint too. But at least it’s just the laundry room!

    Reply
  24. Leslie @ Life Begins at 30? says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:51 am

    Lowe’s and Home Depot are like Target…you go in for 1 thing and come out with a basket full of stuff with no idea how it happened!! I love home projects. It feels so good to accomplish something yourself! I can’t wait to see your new laundry room!

    Reply
  25. Carolyn St. Laurent says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:52 am

    Ever since moving into our new to us home last February, I’ve been in a crazy DIY mode! I swear I’m getting more and more addicted to the Pinterest DIY/Home sections. I’m definitely a DIY novice as well–right now I’m trying to find the perfect fabric to make a padded seat for our window bench.

    I hope all your project turn out beautifully! Can’t wait to see them!

    Reply
  26. Paola @ Do It With Heart says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:59 am

    I’m all about DIY. My husband and I just recently moved to our first home in April and the projects haven’t stopped. And I’m with you with the whole Lowes being your second home. We practically live there, especially the first few months.
    We getting into painting now and it;s a bunch of different colors. I may or may not have got him addicted to color… oops!

    Hope you have fun making your place your own, I know I have!

    Reply
  27. Natalie @ Never Serious Blog says

    October 7, 2014 at 11:11 am

    I’m so inspired by DIY but I always wind up being awful at it, I’m just not very crafty! Which is why I love places like HomeGoods where I can get great stuff for a good price!

    PS – I FINALLY tried your signature cinnamon dulce cappuccino a few days ago and OMG, you were so right! 🙂

    Reply
  28. Sarah @ KS Runner says

    October 7, 2014 at 11:21 am

    We painted our bathroom a mint green color; it is very relaxing!

    We are putting in a new vanity and tiling our bathroom this fall, and I’d like to scrape the walls in our living room. The people that lived there before us put this horrible, rough texturing on the walls (it will snag clothes). I can’t wait to get that done and have it repainted!

    We did scrape the popcorn ceilings in our house, it was a HUGE mess, but so much better now! Good luck with your projects! 🙂

    Reply
  29. Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says

    October 7, 2014 at 11:23 am

    Men are funny, they just don’t get the nuances of shades of mint green. HA! About a month ago, I finally finished my summer long DIY projects of repainting/staining our old dining room and side table plus two armoires. This was probably my most labor intensive with the biggest payoff project: http://successalongtheweigh.blogspot.com/2014/08/an-armoire-gets-new-lease-on-life.html

    If you have good furniture that you’re just tired of or is maybe a little damaged but easily fixed, I’ve got to say chalk paint is very forgiving with no prep work involved! I can’t wait to see all of your projects!

    Reply
  30. Bonnie says

    October 7, 2014 at 11:29 am

    Are you spraypainting your walls? Or did you just include that photo to show the color options?

    Reply
    • Julie says

      October 7, 2014 at 2:46 pm

      No– haha! The spray paint is for a different project!

      Reply
  31. Leslie Barnhill says

    October 7, 2014 at 11:34 am

    We just got that exact same dryer last week! Great minds think alike. It rocks!

    Reply
  32. Christy L. says

    October 7, 2014 at 11:36 am

    Working on my last DYI project now. We gutted the kitchen and had it refinished 2yrs ago. We had gorgeous new real wood dark chocolate cabinets put it. Our budget really took a hit so we couldn’t afford to reface the cabinets throughout the rest of the house. Did some Pinterest searches and found an amazing gel stain product that requires little sanding and a couple coats of stain to match the kitchen. I turned construction grade honey oak into a deep rich chocolate. Last set of cabinets in the master bath followed by new granite tops and sinks. Can’t wait!

    Good luck with painting. I grew to love it as soon as I figured how to properly cut lines. I actually went a little crazy and painted most of the walls in the house. Congrats on your new w/d. What a difference HE make!

    Reply
  33. fitgirlprettyworld says

    October 7, 2014 at 11:43 am

    How fun! I’ve been seeing a lot of fun DIY house projects on Pinterest lately with shelves/picture frames/couch pillows. I just need to get motivated enough to actually do it 🙂

    Reply
  34. Lydia says

    October 7, 2014 at 11:49 am

    Hi Julie! I can wait to see pics of your new home.

    Reply
  35. Linda @ Fit Fed and Happy says

    October 7, 2014 at 11:56 am

    Would you say that you’re dependant on coffee to get you through the day?

    Reply
  36. Megan K says

    October 7, 2014 at 11:57 am

    I want to order that cinnamon dulce cappuccino but I am worried it’ll be too sweet! Do you only do a certain number of pumps of syrup or go full monty?!

    Reply
  37. Annette Perkins (@FitnessPerks) says

    October 7, 2014 at 12:06 pm

    I need to catch that DIY fever sometime during my life! 😉

    Mint green sounds like a fun color for a laundry room. Can’t wait to see it!

    Reply
  38. Heather @ Housewife Glamour says

    October 7, 2014 at 12:10 pm

    Oh man, we are currently on the hunt for a new washer and dryer. Scott has searched all over Craigslist and we almost got one last weekend. It didn’t work out… but after hearing your fire story maybe we should just invest in a new set. Ha. Have fun with all of the DIYing! 🙂

    Reply
  39. pieceofcaitlin says

    October 7, 2014 at 12:11 pm

    i do the same thing when i have a coupon! 🙂 go big or go home!

    Reply
  40. Emily @ Sweets and Beets says

    October 7, 2014 at 12:11 pm

    Woah! That barre promotion is something I could totally get behind.

    Reply
  41. Ashley @ Saving Money in your Twenties says

    October 7, 2014 at 12:30 pm

    I love DIY projects! There arent many opportunities for them in my current rental apt, but i’m excited to live through yours !! 😉

    Reply
  42. Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona says

    October 7, 2014 at 12:34 pm

    65% off sounds like a great deal. I’d try to get it too.

    Reply
  43. Domi says

    October 7, 2014 at 1:01 pm

    Glad you got the washer/dryer situation sorted – it’s always such a pain to do laundry until you actually CAN’T. (And if you work out often, things get a little scary, haha…not speaking from experience or anything… 😉 )

    I work at Starbucks part time and I’ve yet to try a CD cap…might have to give it a whirl when I’m there next!

    Reply
  44. Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed says

    October 7, 2014 at 1:09 pm

    DIY? Yup! We’re doing lots of painting and up until a few weeks ago, I had never even lifted a paint brush. I know more DIY is in my future 🙂

    Reply
  45. Emily says

    October 7, 2014 at 1:16 pm

    I’ve been reading about your love for the cinnamon dolce cappuccino for a while but I just finally ordered myself one when I had an extra few minutes during my lunch break – oh. my. gawsh. WHY DIDN’T I GET THIS SOONER? The entire walk back to my office, all I could smell was the cinnamon. I’m hooked.

    Reply
  46. Kathryn @ Chicks Dig Running says

    October 7, 2014 at 1:45 pm

    I’ve been renting forever so I haven’t done a ton of DIY but the one that did turn out pretty well is our coffee table. When my dog was a wee pup, she chewed an entire corner off of my brand new wood coffee table. Pissed and hopeless, I gave the table to my boyfriend since he doesn’t care what his furniture looks like. We finally got around to fixing it now that our spaces have combined, and it turned out great! We used this putty that mimics real wood (you can sand it and give it texture and stain it) and like 100 coats of stain and it looks phenom! As long as my apartment complex doesn’t notice the giant dark spot where we spilled the stain all over the patio, we’ll be good to go!

    Reply
  47. Sarah @ Sweet Miles says

    October 7, 2014 at 1:47 pm

    Im so jealous you’ll be able to paint your laundry room! I was too lazy to paint mine after finding out it took 3 men just to squeeze our washer and dryer into the space! Gah! So, white it remains, but new shelves and pretty boxes helped! I can’t wait to see how you did yours!

    Reply
  48. Maureen (@SheisMoments) says

    October 7, 2014 at 1:57 pm

    Julie, do you like barre? I’m thinking of trying a class in DC but am a little nervous. I”m used to body pump and cycle. What does a barre beginner need to know?

    Reply
  49. Sarah Whitney says

    October 7, 2014 at 2:40 pm

    Julie, you will be SO happy with that washing machine! My mother has one and just loves it. It’s so efficient!
    I can’t wait to see all of your DIY projects!

    Reply
  50. Jaclyn says

    October 7, 2014 at 2:58 pm

    My one painting tip – good brushes. It is worth spending money on the good brushes. Good luck!

    Reply
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Hi! I’m Julie and I am a mom to three energetic boys and a personal trainer and blogger living in Charlotte, North Carolina. Welcome to my blog! Peanut Butter Fingers follows my life and my interests in food, fitness, family, travel and (mostly) healthy living.
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