What’s Poppin’

Hey guys!!! I’m so excited because our basement is almost finished! If you’re new here, we moved into our house about a year and a half ago. We had about 3 days to find a house to live in after Ben got his new job, and we absolutely loved this house.

Perfect location, great layout, big enough kitchen, beautiful 3.5 acre property. There was just one problem. The finished basement smelled like cat pee. This was a gag-inducing smell. It was SO bad. So we unfinished the finished basement. We ripped out the carpet, tore out the carpet pad, removed the tiles, and removed about 2 feet of the drywall. Even the carpet on the stairs had to go. We cleaned and sealed everything and then waited. We waited a year to make sure the smell was gone through all seasons including high humility. Then we started the process of remodeling it!

I worked with a designer and a contractor because I don’t have a single DIY bone in my body and Ben works like a crazy person, so we clearly needed help.

We took out a wall to turn a tiny galley half kitchen into a bar and we turned one of the two bedrooms down there into a gym AND I’M SO EXCITED. If you’ve been following along on my Instagram stories, you’ve seen some sneak peeks….would you guys be interested in a big final reveal?

It’s still not done and clearly needs some furniture, tv, and lightbulbs, but here is what we have so far (night time cell phone photo, so please excuse the quality)! It was very very brown and had carpet before so it’s a big, bright, and beautiful change.

I’m soooo excited. Have I mentioned that? And it doesn’t smell like cat pee! Thank goodness for that, right?

Here’s what else is poppin’….

Need to find a way: To incorporate this into the basement — maybe in the gym to track workouts?

Latest and Greatest on Rachel Cooks:

• Cauliflower Tacos – I’m in loooooove with these tacos, you have to try them!
• Complete Guide on How to Cook Spaghetti Squash – 5 different methods!
• Sheet Pan Fajitas – I’m all about making your life easier, you’ll love this cooking method for fajitas.
• Instant Pot Shredded Chicken – 4 Variations
• Hot Chocolate Cheesecake Dip – a ten minute (or less) dessert that everyone will love

Is it possible to be in love with a soap dispenser? I’m being extremely picky for the basement and we have matte black finishes – it’s surprisingly hard to find matte black soap dispensers. First world problems, am I right? Anyways, this one arrived today (well, I bought it, it didn’t just magically arrive) and I AM SMITTEN. It has such thick glass and it’s so classy looking. I want to buy one for every sink in my house.

I’m a nerd: Bought a label maker (what took me so long?) and I’ve been labeling everything in sight.

Trying my best: Got this mirror for our foyer….anyone want to come hang it for me?

Delicious eats from around the web:

• I am loving the Moroccan flavors in this salad
• This WHISKEY GLAZED SALMON (yum!) is happening ASAP. (PS: I met Courtney of Sweet C’s in California and I just love her.)
• Berry, Asparagus and Quinoa Salad because I am SO ready for summer!
• Cookie Dough Pretzel Bites….anyone else want these to magically appear in front of them?
• This chopped salad looks perfect for meal prepping.

Changed my whole day: I sat in this chair thing while we were shopping at Dick’s (we had just spent a significant amount of money on living room furniture so perhaps I was feeling extra tense) and OH MY GOSH. It was a life-changing experience. I haven’t bought one yet but I reallllllly want to. It’s a business expense right? If I put it on my desk chair? (I’m kidding, IRS.) I think part of the reason I haven’t bought it is because I know my whole family would want to steal it and I’d never end up sitting on it.

That’s all I have for this week. Have a fantastic weekend, you guys! Any fun plans?

YES, I WANT THIS!

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