Basement Life Is The Good Life! |Simple Life Reclaimed | Episode 72 | 9.30.22

Good morning everybody. Good morning. Good morning. Welcome back to Real Talk with SLR. How are you guys doing today? Well, you guys like our new digs? We got a bed. We've got a bed and it's so awesome. So we decided that we were going to do our Real Talk from our bed. Yes. Yeah. It's been a nice few days. I'm feeling a whole lot better. I've been getting a lot of rest and relaxation in. That's why we didn't do a Real Talk yesterday is because I was just tired. I was just so tired and I slept so much and I've been sleeping so, so much and it has been doing my body good. It's been nice to be able to relax and rest. Yeah. I took the last two days off and literally barely did anything. I was like, nope. I'm sitting down, watching TV, relaxing, scrolling on my phone. Bare necessities. I've taken like three baths since we've been inside the basement and it's been so nice. I took an Epsom salt bath and then oatmeal bath and everything and it's really, really helping out with the shingles. I'm in remission now. So it's definitely still there and still painful, but it is going on the down. Yeah. It's going away. It's starting to. I finished all of my medicine yesterday as well too. So that's a huge help for it. Yes. I've yet to take a bath in there yet. No, you've taken showers. I've taken showers, but just every time it's my turn, it's like late and I'm like, nope, I'm not sitting in that bathtub because I'm going to fall asleep and I don't want to fall asleep in the tub. See, I don't mind, but no, it's been, it's been really nice, man. The kids are loving it. The kids are absolutely loving their bunk beds and they're decorating their own little spaces now. And yeah, we're settling in here. We're definitely starting to settle in a bit more. We haven't moved a whole bunch more stuff over here yet because again, Gary and I just wanted a couple of days to just sit on our butt and not do anything and just try to recover. And it was so needed. Like we really, really needed that. I was able to definitely get that well rest that, uh, I definitely deserve. I feel like, Oh yes, you deserve. I just, I was like, man, nope, two days. I don't really don't want to do anything today. We're going to do a little, very little, very, very little, but it's more so just cleaning up and getting everything all put back together in a sense. I've got tools strung out. I've got, maybe we'll hang up our bedroom door, wood everywhere. Door. Yeah. Yeah. There's little things that we want to do. There's so many boxes, like big giant boxes from all of these things for the bathroom. Like the bathroom tub came in this giant box. All the walls for the bathroom bathroom came in their own box. And, um, the sink, the toilet, like all everything, it came in these boxes. And so we have to break down boxes and we got to make a big trip to the dump soon. I've already got all the boxes and all the foam and everything all consolidated and into as little as possible of boxes. I think only got three boxes full of stuff. We're going to try to make the, when you walk outside to the front door and when you just look out the window, we're going to try to beautify our view. So that way it's not so much just junk everywhere. Cause construction zone, the second you walk out, it's like, uh, I don't want to be out there anymore. I want to go back in. Yeah. Uh, but it, it is what it is. I mean, honestly, it's just been so much and now it's time to get out there. Thankfully we've had beautiful weather. Absolutely gorgeous weather. You can, uh, definitely tell that fall is in the air and tomorrow it's tomorrow, right? The first day of October tomorrow. Yeah. Yeah. So that's exciting. My heart goes out to all you guys in Florida though. Oh my gosh, cause it's terrible. That's nuts. It's terrible. What's going on over there. I couldn't imagine, but it definitely, uh, definitely seasons are changing though. It's, uh, I'm excited for it. We're actually going to be fall actual fall before we know it. We're actually going to be able to celebrate the holiday seasons coming up inside this new space, which is going to be so much better than last year, cooped up in a trailer, trying to do like my Christmas traditions with the kids. I mean, I still did it, but it was a struggle. Like when I was doing the Christmas cookies and stuff and we were like all cooped up inside the trailer and you know, just little things like that. I'm looking forward to being able to start decorating some things around here for fall and getting ready for Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas and just all of that. I'm so excited to be able to be in this space during that time. It's going to be nuts. Speaking of the seasons changing tonight is actually going to be our first night that we can sit down and really do a comfortable family movie night with the kids and stuff. And, um, I bring it up because the seasons are changing and tonight on, uh, I think it's on Disney plus or something, but they got the new, uh, Hocus Pocus part two is coming out and we're so excited for it. The kids are so excited for it. Wyatt, Julia, Scarlett, Abraham, we're going to do a family movie night down here in the basement tonight with the kids and throw a bunch of pillows on the floor and kind of do like a little camp out and watch the new Hocus Pocus and get ready for the next, you know, month and the whole new holiday season coming up. So we're very excited about that. It's going to be, uh, it's going to be nice. I'm looking forward to this season. Me too. I really am. I'm not, uh, we still have quite a bit to do before the season change. Of course, which insulating the roof and stuff or the ceiling or whatever that's going to be on our to-do list before it gets too cold. Looking up at the rafters and I'm like, yeah, those things need to get filled in. Yeah. I don't mind the way that it looks. I think it looks fine, but for keeping, to make sure that it stays climate controlled, it's actually pretty nice in here right now. Yeah. It's surprisingly, I mean, I think last night it got down like 51, 52 ish outside, but not inside, but not inside. We woke up and it was 68 degrees inside and it was 31% humidity. Yeah. That little dehumidifier is kicking butt. Yeah. Like honestly, I'm so happy we purchased that thing because it was like in the eighties inside the basement. So I was like, I do not want all this wood to just start rotting away because it's so humid in there. Like man, necessity for sure. Yes. So it makes me happy. It's been a very nice control climate in here. Yeah. So it's been really nice. We do, we are going to definitely want to put some insulation up in the rafters before winter. So that way we don't freeze and all of the heat that we do produce, because you know, heat rises, we're going to want to make sure that it stays in here. Cool thing is on those fans that we got, we're going to just flip it over into winter mode where it actually pulls the heat and pushes, or actually it brings the cool air up and circulates it this way versus this way. Yeah. Yeah. You know? Yeah. So it changes the direction and it will actually pull that heat down and get it coming down. Yes. So, which will be nice. It'd be very nice. We do have a couple, like we're going to take the heaters that we had inside the trailer. We have these little box fan heaters. They're mostly for like a room or like a space heater type thing, but I tell you what, those dudes kick out some heat in the trailer. We would get roasted out to where we couldn't use them both at the same time because it would just roast us. Right. Granted, it was a much smaller space, but I think what Gary and I are going to do for this bedroom area of ours is we're going to take the small one that was in our bedroom in the trailer and we're going to put it in here. We're going to turn it on and that's going to be the heat source for in here. We're going to take the second one that we have and we'll put it inside the bathroom and kind of point it towards the hallway. So it'll heat up the bathroom and the hallway. And then in the main big portion where the kids are staying, I think we want to get one of those electric fireplaces where it looks like woods burning and they really crank out a lot of heat. I've heard really great things about those, so I think we're going to pick one of them. We've got three dedicated circuits over in there, so. Yeah, I think it'll be all right to put one in there. I think that would be a really cool spot. I think it's going to look beautiful and it's going to produce the heat. One thing that we do as well during the cold and that we did in the trailer, we're definitely going to do it in here too, is the kids each have their own electric plug-in blanket. And so we're going to be putting that down as their base sheet that they sleep in and then you turn it on low at night. And so then when they crawl into bed, their bed's already nice and warm and toasty and it helps to keep them warm at night. So even if it's a little cooler inside the air, you know, is a little cooler, they're nice and toasty warm. So we're definitely going to be doing that as well. So when the time comes, hopefully we'll be ready and it will stay nice and warm in here for this winter. I think it will be fine. I mean, honestly, I feel like what, what we have planned right there. I think that's perfect. It's going to be perfect. Yeah. You know, I mean, the floor, as long as we get some good throw rugs down because the concrete is where it's going to get cold, cold per se. But the good thing is, is that we are in a basement and it does all based off of the average temperature of the ground aspect out here. And the average temperature is roughly about 60. I think it's like 66 or something or 65 right around there. I'd have to look it up. I really, I can't remember exactly off the top of my head, but that itself should be the average temperature. Once we insulate the roof in the basement all year round. Yeah. Should be. And we do have quite a few throw rugs right now. We're probably, I mean, not probably, we're definitely gonna be picking up some more. I'd like to throw one over by the kids' bed. I don't really want any in that kitchen dining room area because kids slop and spill and everything. And I'd rather not have carpets right there to have to clean up and just be able to mop and be done with it. But over by the kids' bed. So getting up and out of their bed, they have something nice, just like how we do. I'd like to get one for them. And I want to get some for the bathroom too, because the bathroom doesn't really have anything, but we still have a whole lot of finishing to do in the bathroom. We've got a crap ton of, we have a crap ton to do. We still have to finish this basement fully. We haven't even fully finished it, but it is livable. I will say this. It's livable and it's better than the trailer. So I've warned Melanie and I'm going to warn you guys as well. We are not moving into the cabin upstairs until the last trim work is done. Yeah. I've already told her for a minute. I know I'm not doing it twice. Yeah. It ain't happening to me. Fully agree. Fully, fully agree. This space that we're staying in now is better than a tiny house. It's better than the trailer. It is better than anything. This is technically, we could build, you know, rooms and whatnot in there and everything and make it to where this would be our house. If we wanted to, we could figure out a way to make the laundry room be the kitchen and the laundry room. And then that would be that if we really wanted to. And then that whole other side space. I don't know. I would, I would just separate the two sides and one bedroom over there, one bedroom over there. This would be a bedroom. But there's other things in that aspect, but we're not doing that at all. There's not, there's no need to discuss and argue over it. No, I know, but I'm just. Cause that's not how I would have it. No, I know. What I'm saying is, is that it, the size of where we're in is like a normal house. It is. It's a normal house square foot. Uh, I mean, it's a thousand 89 if you take out or if you do the outside measurements. It's a good size. Inside measurements, it's a thousand 24. So, I mean, that's a good size basement, man. It's, it's not something small. It's not something big, like too massive, you know. Yeah. It's perfect for our family size, especially considering the ages of our children. Now, if our children were all teenagers, um, I don't think we'd really be able to get away with this. But the fact is, is that we have a 10 year old, a five-year-old and a almost eight-year-old. So, I mean, Scarlett's turning eight on November 2nd. Yeah. Why are you giving me that look? Like I don't know my ages of my children, five, 10 and almost eight. It's all right. I'm just my, I'm getting old. Yeah. You're looking at it like, wait, what? Yeah. No, I mean, it's, they are getting up there. They are growing. They are getting older, but they're not all teenagers yet. So, they don't all need their space. And by the time that they are needing more of their own private spaces, they will have that. We'll have the cabin upstairs finished. So, the time in life that we're doing this, both for me and Gary, for our ages, our physical capabilities and everything, as well as our children, like they're able, they're, they're flexible. You know, at this age, they're very flexible and they are so happy. Let me tell you what, the kids come home from school every day and they are literally running across the room and running and jumping into their bed. And they're just so excited to be here in the basement. It's so much better. Our whole family has like a new, refreshed, boosted morale and just. Everything. Everything. It's just so. Makes it super nice. So nice. But yeah, no, I'm not putting, I'm not, we're not doing it in the cabin till the last trim work is done. Yeah. We're going to stay here in this basement. And I'm going to take my time. I mean, it's still going to get done within, you know, the timeframe of what I gave myself. Yes. I gave us two to three years to build our house and it's still going to be within that timeframe. We're a year in. Yep. You know, a little over a year and I think we've got one floor done. We've got one floor. Yeah. I think just about done, not fully done, but we'll know. But I wasn't expecting to do all the finishes in here and move in here either. Like the beginning, the beginning of the plan was to stay in the trailer for two to three years during this, but. But plans change. Plans change. You got to be fluid like water. Yes. And your family and we all really needed this morale boost. Yes. I mean, like we've been working ourselves. I've been working myself literally sick as you guys well know. And, um, having a little bit of creature comforts, you know, flushing toilet, a nice bathtub, um, some space, a bedroom, a real bed. Like you don't understand how much the little things, the little things really like matter out and people take it for granted and it matters so much. We take it for granted and we don't now that's for sure. We're like, Oh, thank the Lord. Thank you. Thank you. Like we're so, it just, I feel renewed and refreshed. We still have some things that we have to do here inside the basement before we start working on Gary's garage, which is going to be coming next before we do the cabin. So I mean like there is an order of operations. We've talked to you guys about the, uh, our plans before, but right now we are just fully enjoying the fruits of our hard labor. And I, I know that physically I think I'm, or mentally I feel like I'm super woman, right? Like I could do everything physically. I can't do that. I cannot continue to work myself silly to the point where I'm getting myself sick. It's not good for me. It's not good for my children. It's not good for my husband. And so it's not good all around. Yeah, it's not good all around. So we do have, um, plans on how we're going to continue moving forward. You guys are going to still get everything that y'all want as far as videos and everything is concerned. Um, I am just going to be going about it a little bit differently. So that way I'm not staying up until two, three o'clock in the morning and then waking up at five 30 and six and having to work all day and getting three or four hours of sleep each day for the past few years. That's what I've done. I've done that to myself for years and years, and I can't do it anymore. I'm physically just deteriorating. So I got a different plan on how we're going to go about doing this and it's going to work out really great. And I think just having creature comforts, like what we have is going to help me out a lot as well. Um, but I'm excited. I'm excited for the next few things that we're going to be showing you guys. This is like, uh, do you remember that one short that we put out where me and Gary, we were mixing concrete and we're like, can we skip to the good part? And Gary's all no. And I'm like, wow. Do you guys remember that short with the concrete and stuff? Well, this is part of the good part that I wanted to skip to and we're here now. So I'm not, I'm going to thoroughly enjoy this, this phase of life. I'm going to thoroughly, thoroughly enjoy, um, slowing down. That's why that's part of the whole reason why we moved out here. You know, we didn't just move out here to work ourselves silly. We moved out here to enjoy the simple things in life and reclaim our life. Well, even though it's very hard for me right now to slow it down, just, just work on it. There's so much left to do. Yeah. But you know what? How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. No, I know. I'm just saying though. It's my brain. It's been nice though. The last two days I've been forcing myself. I'm like, Nope, no Gary. Sit your butt down. Yeah. Watch TV. Relax. Loaf. Yes. Yes. So it's been needed guys. It's been really, really needed. I feel really refreshed today though. I am too. I'm feeling very good. I feel like I can go outside and accomplish some stuff because I could, I've been sitting down, I've been sitting down for two days and I can't sit down for longer than that. So yeah, I, I'm starting to be able to do a lot more. Like I'm, I still can't do a lot of heavy lifting or a lot of fast movements or anything. Um, but I am getting better. I think maybe another few more days, possibly another week of really light duty. And I should be, I should be getting there. I mean, until the marks are gone until I'm physically completely healed, which I'm not, but I don't see it taking maybe another week. I don't know. Maybe it is getting a lot better. So, and I'm just going to keep letting myself heal. Gary is, I'm going to be on you to keep taking it slow and taking it easy. Yes. There is a lot to do around here. There is, but just do, we're going to do the, like what we talked about having a start time and an end time. And that's it. We're going, you know, we've been working 16, 12, 16 hour days every day for years. And it's physically like what's more important, 12, 16 hour days or an eight hour day and, you know, several hours with our children. Like, exactly. So that's what we're going to do. That's, that's what we're doing. Start making it to where three 30 rolls around and we're done, pack it up and we're done. We're done. We can deal with the kids and weekends off and weekends off. Yeah. So our, our, our work time is going to be essentially seven to three 30. After that, if we're not doing the work between seven and three 30, then that's it. Because that's the only work time that we're going to start allowing ourselves. So we can get a good night's sleep. So we can enjoy normal things with our family, like having a nice sitting around the table and eating dinner, which I got a table now. I got a table now that we do so exciting being able. We've actually been able to have dinner around the table, um, with the kids the last couple of nights. And that has just, it makes my heart so happy to be able to sit around the table and look at their faces and have conversation with them about school and about whatever's going on and enjoy a meal together. Little things like that means so much when you go so long without it and you finally get it back. It's like, I'm keeping it. I'm keeping it. So we do have a new work schedule that we're going to be implementing, um, for ourselves. I don't see it impacting you guys in any way, shape, or form as far as videos or anything. If anything, it's going to help me to stay more, um, focused and have enough time. I'm going to be doing better time management with all of that because by having a start time that we're able to start actually physically doing work, um, and filming and all that and having an end time for when work is ending and then allowing myself to have, um, a few hours in the evening for editing, I will still be able to get a good night's sleep and I won't be staying up until two, three o'clock in the morning editing videos to put them out. Um, I, I just can't do it. I just can't do it anymore guys, but I, I will not, it should not affect the channel. Um, it should not affect the videos, but it is something that I'm just sitting here all, yeah, I'm looking forward to it. Oh, this is what we've been working so hard for. Yes. And we should enjoy it. Yes. You know, we shouldn't feel guilty for enjoying it. And that's a hard one for me. And I know it's a hard one for you too, because you're like, oh, there's still so much more we should do, or there's still so much more, but there's always going to be. So always, always, always. So we're taking it back and we're starting to, uh, to enjoy these things. And I hope that that makes you guys happy because it makes us super, super happy. Um, today, Gary, like we were talking about a little bit earlier, Gary is going to start cleaning up outside. I'm going to do what I can outside too, to get all the construction zone out on the patio picked up. And I might start moving some of the food pantry stuff over here. If I could drive the side-by-side or something, maybe I know that this weekend, our big plan for the whole weekend is we'd like to get the refrigerators and stuff over here. So that way we're more fully moved in. Cause right now, when I go to cook things, I'm like, okay, what do we want for dinner? Oh, I need this. Here's a list of everything that I need. Let's go home and let's go back to camp and let's grab it all and bring it over here and I can cook it. And, um, we've been doing that for a few days. It's not a big deal, you know, but it would be nicer. And it will be nicer when we get all of our camp stuff more situated and fully move out of camp. So. It's going to get there. That's what we're going to be working on for the next little bit is fully moving, um, all the stuff, all of the stuff. Yeah. Little by little. Little by little. Little by little. I'm looking forward to tonight's family movie night with the kids. It's going to be nice. Yeah. It's going to be really nice. It's going to be super good. Maybe we'll play a game with them tonight to let them pick out a board game. Cause we have the space now and got the table and we don't have wind blowing the cards away or, you know, we got the table. We do have a table where we can actually all sit around a table and play a board game. Yes. It's nice. Little things like that, man. It matters so much. So it's going to be nice. So I don't, I don't know when we're going to be putting out another, um, real talk. Maybe we'll put out cause we, I know we missed one yesterday. And then instead of going live, we did our premier, which the premier turned out. Wonderful. Thank you guys so much for all joining us for that. We had a great time. Um, we might put out another real talk tomorrow and I'll have the kids on and I'll let them talk about cause it's Saturday tomorrow. So maybe, maybe don't hold me to it, but I was thinking it would be fun if we had them on as well. We'll see how they're feeling and if they are up to it, I can't, promise, but it would be fun to have them on and maybe they can talk about, um, how it's been for them to be in the basement and stuff before we get off to work. So maybe I'll have a real talk for you guys tomorrow. And if not, I will have a new video on simple life reclaimed on the main channel for you guys on Monday. So, um, we're going to skedaddle. We got some things we want to do and we got a whole lot more relaxed than we want to do as well. So we're going to wrap this one up, but I want to say thank you guys so much for watching today and keep your notifications turned on. You might be seeing us tomorrow. If not, uh, here then definitely on simple life on Monday. Oh yeah. So we love you guys. Thanks for watching today and until the next one, we hope you have a good one and we'll catch you on the next one. Bye you guys. Later, later.