Random 5 for June 21, 2026 – Renovation, wallpaper, body parts, normal, air fryers

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The wallpaper color is distorted. It’s a blue texture with varying shades. Hard to take a picture of a small room with poor lighting.

The last one down! – We did a minor update to our powder room. As usual, it started out simple with switching out the old exhaust fan and replacing the vanity but turned into a bigger project. It’s the last one we had on our list from when we moved five years ago. I love it. It’s easier to clean (a major criteria these days). It didn’t take long. Our contractor didn’t blare radios or leave tarps all over. He didn’t smoke so no butts in the driveway. He came when he said he would and the job took less than six days. The old vanity was recycled to Habitat for Humanity. I am very happy with the job.

Also the last time – I wallpapered the top part of the powder room. The bottom part is vertical shiplap. The room is very small. I needed a tall ladder because it has a nine-foot ceiling (which felt like the Sistine Chapel). I couldn’t completely open the ladder, so it was an annoying job, but I finished it in one day. (It took two caffeinated sodas and some serious discussions with myself!) I’m happy with the job. After a day of up and down on the ladder and twisting and turning where there wasn’t much room, I am swearing off wallpapering. Forever! Women my age with questionable balance should not be on a ladder at all, let alone wallpapering. I’ve been wallpapering since I was five when my dad put a scrapper in my hand and showed me how to remove the old wallpaper in my childhood house. Back then everyone had every room wallpapered because the walls weren’t smooth enough to paint. Most of my house is painted but I love some wallpaper to break up the “smoothness.” Sadly, this was my last run at it. Transitions.

The job celebration! – My entire body celebrated the completion. Each part in different ways. My back was the most vocal reminding me that I’m not young anymore (like I need to be reminded!). My legs are done squatting and hoisting for the rest of the year. Maybe the rest of my life! The elevator muscles (hip flexor) got a one-way ticket to the Bahamas! My arms do not want to spend anymore time over my head. Ever! While my body was discussing going to meetings for renovators anonymous, my spirit was soaring.

Returning to normal – This week will be normal (or the new normal). It’s full of doctor visits for both of us. Mine are routine checkups but the beloved husband is starting a treatment for macular degeneration. It’s something new that should help maintain his acuity.

Should I or shouldn’t I? – After years of curiosity, I bought an air fryer. I have a checkered history of buying kitchen toys; using them for a while; and then relegating them to the basement for the mice to admire and use as a playground. I have tried it twice. On the plus side, it worked well; was easy to clean; and didn’t heat up the kitchen. On the other side, it only made one part of the meal. I had to use my range and microwave for the rest. I am a big fan of one pan meals. You put the vegetables on a foil covered cooking sheet and roast for a few minutes, then add the protein. Wella! Within less than a half hour, you have the complete meal in one pan that is easy to clean (foil!). The only downside is that it heats up the kitchen. Ok in the winter, not so ok in the summer. I’m all ears if you have an opinion.

So how was your week?

 

56 thoughts on “Random 5 for June 21, 2026 – Renovation, wallpaper, body parts, normal, air fryers”

  1. Your bathroom looks great. Can’t help you on the air fryer. Still haven’t wanted another gadget on the counter. Well, I don’t know how close we are in age but it wasn’t that long ago that you told me I should go ahead and tackle that unpasted wallpaper for my bathroom ceiling 🙂 It’s still in the box by the way.

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  2. Pingback: Random 5 for June 28, 2026 – Air fryer, style, tenaciousness, bumps, summer | Views and Mews by Coffee Kat

  3. Your powder room looks awesome! Beautiful job! I’m sorry it was so rough on you, but it you did an amazing job of it 🙂 Glad it was a quick and easy job from the contractor perspective too 🙂
    I don’t buy kitchen gadget/appliances anymore. I let myself get talked into getting an insta-pot back when they were all the rage, which we used maybe twice. It saved no time as far as I could see, took up a ton of space, and was way too fiddly to operate for me. I know people love them, but I don’t. My DH, who is a gadget enthusiast, keeps hinting that we should get an air fryer, but I’ve been shutting it down. I do the cooking, so we’ve passed on them so far.

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    • Every year (about this time) I consider air fryers. The one I bought went back. Now I’m considering one that is more like a toaster oven with added features. We’ll see how that thought survives. Today is the last day for Amazon Prime discounts.

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  4. The powder room looks fantastic! What a beautiful space. Bravo on the job. I keep wanting to paper one wall in my powder room but your post project comments aren’t very encouraging for my aging body. Plus I don’t have anywhere near the experience you have (I only possess absurd perfection expectations and worry that I will be (a) out a bunch of money and (b) unable to make the project look good. Not sure how to paper on an orange peel wall finish and so I just let it languish in my mind.

    The only recommendation I can offer regarding meals in the summer is take out. When you live alone you don’t want to use every skillet and sauce pan in the cupboard so I get that desire for one pan meals.

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  5. Your powder room looks amazing. But I agree with you – no more ladders or arms overhead, our bodies don’t like doing that!! Hopefully you recover from all your hard work!

    Pauleen Driscoll

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  6. The powder room looks beautiful, and I’m more than impressed at your wallpaper and ladder skills.

    I can relate to the air fryer issue. I love how it make things crispy, and heats up left over pizza like no other, but the inability to one pan meal prep is a pain.

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  8. It’s a lovely bathroom, and I love your descriptions of what your body did when you were done. The corners of my mouth have migrated toward my earlobes and probably won’t return for a while.

    One pot meals? Crock pot. It was absolutely invaluable when I was cooking for a big family, but even if it’s just two, there are smaller versions or you make enough to freeze for later.

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  10. I’m glad your bathroom remodel was so successful. And I’m doubly glad you completed the wall papering, without falling.

    I’ve never used an air fryer. Like you, I’m a fan of one-pan meals.

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  11. You made a great job on the bathroom Kate. I like your toilet’s streamlined look. The toilet tank is so petite looking … mine is an older toilet, large tank and a heavy lid and now it is back to phantom flushing again. Not happy about that, but if nothing else happens, I’ll live with it, like I did before I got a new flapper for it. I have wallpaper everywhere but the hall. I have two framed prints hanging in the hall and the frame “bumpers” have melted and there is brown stuff oozing from the bumpers. I cleaned it – it comes back. I have to come up with a solution … every week it is something else. I’ve never used an air fryer but I’d prefer one pan over several too – me, I’m the “crockpot kid”!

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  13. I had to replace my toaster oven earlier this year and the one I picked out has an air fryer setting. I’ve only used it a couple times so haven’t really formed an opinion yet. I will say that I use the toaster oven year round. The only day of the year I use my big oven is Thanksgiving!

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  15. I love my little air fryer and when it dies I’ll get a bigger one or one of those 2 drawer jobs so I can cook a whole meal. It’s perfect for reheating leftovers too – they stay crispy whereas in the microwave reheated foods can lose that texture.

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  16. Your powder room looks terrific! I can’t imagine putting up wallpaper using a ladder that you can’t fully open. I’m glad the job is complete, you are happy, and all of your bones are in tact.

    I bought an oven-type air fryer a while ago, used it a few times, then decided to get a Breville oven (which has an air fryer function) instead. Since it’s just the two of us, I use it pretty much year-round instead of our big oven. Heats up quicker, uses less energy, and doesn’t heat up the kitchen as much.

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    • I was crazy to chance the wallpapering but I got it done. A small convection oven that will also toast (so I can get rid of the toaster) and do other things is my next option. I looked at Breville. I want to do more research. Sigh! The air fryer I have is going back.

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  20. I could be happy with everything about that powder room redo!!! Beautiful. 5 stars for your contractor who did the job and did it neat and well. I am happy to hear you will not be on big tall ladders anymore. Arms over head for any length of time are hurty! Hope you are enjoying your lazy day🙂

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    • This contractor is easy to work with. He is having shoulder surgery and will be out for 4 months returning in January. He’s already booked through May of next year. I’m not always planning that far ahead but anything else we do is for maintenance.

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  21. Reminiscing: I think you were the first person to respond to me when I opened my WP account. I remember how inspiring you were and how I felt encouraged to get on with it!♥♥♥

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  22. The bathroom part of this post is a lulu!! (Bad pun/play on works, huh) It sounds a lot like my downstairs bathroom…tiny but functional. I fully intended to put wall paper above the bottom woodwork, and install permanent shower doors, but it hasn’t happened.

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    • This had the least priority of the projects we knew we needed to do when we bought the house. Other than ugly, the old bathroom was functionally ok but a bear to keep clean. Once I committed to buying the wallpaper, I had to do it (or pay someone to do it). WP is $$$ these days.

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  25. Congrats on the reno completion – looks GREAT – really! I haven’t been on a ladder in years…..bless you my friend for being brave. I don’t have a fear of heights but I do have a fear of clumsiness/falling (that would be ME!). Anyway, air fryers – have thought about them but I’m with you (even with the heat issue) on the foil on a pan with everything cooking at once in the oven THING. I’m also having more of those “why on earth don’t we go out to eat more often HONEY” conversations. I say I’m not being lazy – I’m just “conserving my energy”. LOL

    Hugs, Pam

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  26. The bathroom looks lovely. And I’m so done with climbing on ladders and such…too scary at this age! But I’m gonna keep exercising those squatting muscles for some years yet, I hope. Hard to foster and pet sit if I can’t get down on the floor. As for the air fryer, I had one and hardly used it. Same problem – only makes one piece of the meal at a time, so it doesn’t save any time and is more trouble,

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