Home Sweet Home

I knew the house we bought was our home the moment we walked through it 8 years ago.  Adam and I have spent these last 8 years transforming the interior to make it more "us."  While we'll always have ongoing projects going on inside, the overall feel of the interior of our house is very much ours.  It matches our styles, even though we've never been able to nail down what exactly to call our style.  We enjoy detailed woodwork, a la Craftsman style.  I love some traditional touches, but also like a mix of modern.  One thing we know for sure is that we like COLOR!  So it's no surprise that the tan, beige exterior of our house never really felt like it was "us."  

But that's all changed now because the outside of our house got a serious dose of color!  Ta-da!

Isn't she gorgeous?  After extensive research on all the different siding options, Adam decided James Hardie fiber cement siding was our best bet.  I told him I didn't really care what kind of siding we ended up with, I just wanted to pick the color.  While James Hardie is one of the pricier options, it's also an option that's supposed to be super durable and long-lasting.  We plan to stay put in our house for a long time, so it made sense to us to invest in something that will (hopefully, fingers crossed) stand the test of time.  After deciding on the product, Adam then vetted local contractors to get the job done.  I lost track of how many bids Adam got, but he wanted to be very certain the company we chose would do excellent work.  We are absolutely thrilled with the company we ultimately went with and are so pleased with the results.  If anyone local wants to know who we went with, just ask and I'd be happy to share their contact information.  

But let's get to the fun stuff- the before and afters!  

Our exterior was looking a little rough!  The new columns and trim work Adam finished building back in November were in need of paint and that black netting over the gable vent was to keep the bats that were living in our attic from coming back in.  Yes, there were bats living in our attic, but have since been evicted.  Let's just say our house wasn't the prettiest one on the block.    

But boy has she come a long ways!  Look at her now!  We went with the siding color Deep Ocean and it was the perfect choice for us!  It's definitely on the bolder side, but isn't too crazy.  I think it still fits in nicely with the other houses on our street.  We chose a horizontal lap siding for the top part of the front of the house (and on all the other sides) and shake siding right above the garage for a little added detail and texture.  The company we went with also had a painter as part of the crew, so he took care of painting the columns and garage doors.   

I still can't get over how much grander our porch looks with the new columns and trim work Adam added!  We used to have some busy railings and decorative woodwork at the top of our porch, as shown in the photo below.  

Ripping out those railings was the right move.  Everything is so much more open!  My favorite thing to do right now is hang out on the front porch after we eat dinner.  We give the kids a popsicle (which is really just frozen water in one of those make-your-own popsicle molds, but don't tell Archer and Lyla!) and we lounge in the chairs.  The kids help me water the flowers and we get to just hang out together.  It's perfection!  

After the siding was installed, Adam and I decided to spruce up the cedar shutters he built a few years back.  We decided to stain them a rich brown (General Finishes Exterior 450 in Coffee Bean) and finish them off with a semi-gloss topcoat (General Finishes Exterior 450 Top Coat in Semi-Gloss).  They definitely bring in some warmth and tie in nicely with the bricks.  We also decided the front door color didn't quite jive with the new siding.  Both were bolder blues and they felt like they were competing.  I ended up painting our front door Behr's Blue Agave, which is actually the same color as our dining room. Our dining room is just off to the right when you walk in the front door, so it's a nice way to tie the exterior and interior together.     

Even the side of our house, which only features one window, looks more exciting with the new siding.  The crisp white trim definitely helps add some more interest.  Heck, even the trash enclosure which hides our trash and recycling bins looks fancy with the new color!  Adam actually built that using the railings from our front porch.    

     

The other side of our house looks lovely in blue, too.  

Now let's head to the backyard for my favorite transformation yet!  We had a large covered deck that spanned most of the back of our house.  While it's been nice to have a covered deck, it wasn't in the best shape.  You could clearly tell that it had been built in three sections at three different times.  It wasn't the most soundly built and felt a bit like a trampoline when you walked across it.  Adam has never been impressed with it and has talked about reworking it for years.  So when we decided to get new siding, Adam felt like now was the perfect time to rework the deck.  We had the siding crew remove half of the deck roof.  It was a good thing too, because it had lots of water damage.  Adam also took off the railings and decided to change up where some of the posts were located.  He also switched out the lattice for some deck board skirting for a more finished look and to keep out critters.  Since the deck is fairly high off the ground, our plan is to replace the railings with a cable rail system.  We think it will open things up, but still keep people from tumbling off the edge.  Even though we still have work to do on the deck, it's already such a huge improvement!    

Just like in the front, things are much more open!  We still have a partially covered deck, so we do still have shade.  We also have a better view of the back of the house.  I never truly got to appreciate that little bump out around the back door.  I love to lay in our hammock and gaze up at our pretty house now.    

We would also love to rework the landscaping blocks around the deck.  Ideally, we want to add rock instead of mulch and create a little flagstone path between the deck and hammock.  And maybe add some more hostas or other plants.  We'll save our pennies and work on that in the future.  

And how cute did the little shed that Adam built turn out?!  I think it somehow looks even more charming painted blue.  

The dark blue and crisp white really lets the flowers and plants in the window boxes show off.  

I can't help but smile as I walk down the street towards our house on my daily walks with Jazzy, Archer and Lyla.  It truly is home sweet home. 

Lyla & Archer Get a Swing Set!

Adam has been busy building a swing set for Archer and Lyla!  Since we've been spending our days at home now, we decided the kids could use some more outdoor activities in our backyard.  Adam and I always planned to build them some sort of swing set, but weren't in any huge hurry.  However, the pandemic made us decide to build it sooner rather than later.  It's safe to say it was an excellent idea given the sheer number of hours Archer and Lyla have already clocked playing on it.  (Lyla sure knows how to sit back and let me do all the work pushing her.)

But let's back up and talk about how the swing set came to be.  We had lots of lumber to work with since we're in the process of reworking our back deck.  Our whole exterior has undergone some big changes that I'm excited to share with you soon!  One of our projects has been reworking our existing back deck.  It's always been a little wonky and Adam didn't like that it wasn't structurally sound.  So while the siding on our house was being replaced, we decided to have a portion of the covered deck taken down by the siding crew.  Adam marked the lumber that was salvageable and the workers set it aside for us.  That meant we had plenty of lumber to use to build the new swing set.  It was all Adam's idea to reuse what we had and it made me so happy!  Trying to create less waste has been a major goal of mine and this was the perfect way to reuse and re-purpose something we already had on hand. 

After looking for some inspiration on Pinterest, I found this image.  It led to a company based in the Netherlands, so it wasn't much help to us.  But we still used it as our guide.  I loved the simplicity of it and the small footprint.  We don't have a huge yard and there isn't a lot of space that is flat.  So this seemed like it would fit our yard and still look nice.  As much as I love my children, I don't want our yard to look like a public playground.  

Adam created some plans and pieced together the wood we had to create the posts that would go on either side of the slide and the beam that would go across the top.  He ended up planing and sanding all the wood, which brought it all back to life!  He also planned to use some of our discarded deck railing to make the ladder that leads to the slide.  And luck would have it that I spotted the slide on someone's curb by their trash on one of my daily walks with the kids and Jazzy.  I figured it must have been cracked or damaged to be put in someone's trash.  But I decided to scope it out just in case.  It looked like it was in good condition, so I told Adam about it when we got home.  Since he's working from home, he just hopped in his car and picked it up.  So not only was the wood free, but so was the slide!  And we saved it from the landfill and gave it a second life. 

While we already had the swings (Thanks, Grandma Sandy!), we did have to order some hanging hardware for them.  Adam also thought some handles would be a good idea to help the kids transition from the ladder to the slide.  The only other materials we needed were some Sonotubes and concrete to set the posts in.   

Once Adam had his plan in place, he started by digging the holes for the posts.  I'm glad that wasn't my job because it seemed like a lot of work!  

With the holes dug, Adam got to work setting the posts.  He put a Sonotube in each hole, got the posts all situated and finally mixed and poured the concrete.  He wanted to make sure this swing set was nice and stable for years to come.  I think it's safe to say that swing set isn't going anywhere anytime soon!   

Archer and Lyla enjoyed watching all the steps in the process.  They even helped add some dirt around the posts and "hammered" some boards.  We kept telling them that Daddy was building them a swing set, but I don't think they quite grasped the concept.  They were still happy to watch what Adam was up to while playing in their turtle rock box.  

After the posts were in place, assembling the rest of the pieces came next.  I don't have any pictures of the process because Adam seemed to get everything put together pretty quickly!  Once the swing hanging hardware was installed, the slide was attached and the handles were in place, it was ready to go!  I had grand plans of taking video of the kids as we unveiled it to them for the first time all complete, but they managed to sneak outside before Adam and I got there so we missed their initial reactions.  They saw it from our sliding glass door and couldn't get out there fast enough!  It's safe to say they love it and have already spent many hours playing on it.  

Lyla and Archer are super lucky to have such a hard-working, giving dad.  And I'm super lucky that I have a husband who can whip up a real-life version of whatever picture I show him.  I foresee us spending lots of time in our yard this summer as a family.

I've Fallen Down A Rabbit Hole

It all started with this book.  I took Archer and Lyla to the library for story time (remember when we got to get out and do those sorts of things?) and had just finished reading a book so I needed a new one.  Archer and Lyla were running low on patience, so I grabbed one that looked interesting from a display area.  So whoever happened to add this book to the display is responsible for kick-starting this new passion of mine.

I selected this book thinking I would get new ideas to help save the sea turtles and our environment.  What I didn't expect to get from it, was a new knowledge of just how harmful plastic can be to our health.  Not all plastic is created equal and some types are worse than others.  But reading this book gave me a basic understanding of how some plastics can leach into the foods and health items that they are stored in.  It was enough to make me think twice about heating up plastic in the microwave, storing food in plastic and buying food wrapped in plastic.  It also made me start to look for plastic-free alternatives to health and beauty items.

I was a little irked after reading this book.  I was mad at companies and corporations for leading me to buy, buy, buy lots of plastic crap I didn't really need.  But I realized who I really should be mad at was myself.  I was the one making all those decisions.  No one was holding me at gunpoint making me buy that stuff.  This book taught me to be a smarter, more responsible consumer.

After reading this book, I needed and wanted to know even more about making healthier choices for my family and the environment.  Doing some more research led me to the idea of zero waste lifestyles.  Zero Waste can have different definitions depending on who you ask, but basically it means reusing products and preventing waste from being sent to landfills or ending up in oceans.  I've since read several more books about the topic and the following are two I would highly recommend.

Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson
101 Ways To Go Zero Waste by Kathryn Kellogg

Like any new information, I took it all with a grain of salt.  I know I won't be able to take every bit of their advice and our family's yearly waste will not fit in a single mason jar (like Bea Johnson and Lauren Singer).  But I can definitely take some of their ideas.  As Anne Marie Bonneau (a zero waste chef) has said, "We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly.  We need millions of people doing it imperfectly."

It can seem overwhelming once you have all this information.  When you realize all the stuff you are doing to harm our planet and our health.  And there are lots of different perspectives out there surrounding zero waste.  Some people are only focused on the issues relating to health.  Others may solely be focused on eliminating plastic.  Yet others want to make sure the items they buy are produced sustainably, meaning the resources companies use to produce products are procured in a responsible way and they treat their workers well.  Then there are folks focused on reducing their carbon footprint, which means they pay attention to the emissions companies put out while making and shipping products.  I don't know about you, but my brain starts swirling when I try to consider all of this when trying to figure out the best kind of floss to buy!  But there are a few guiding principles I now use that I've taken from different people to help move my family closer to being zero waste. 

Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot and only in that order.
Bea Johnson bases her zero waste lifestyle around this principle and I have tried to adopt this principle too.  I've tried to refuse what I don't need, reduce the things I do need, reuse items, recycle what I can and rot (or compost) what I can.  I've tried to ask myself if I truly need something before I buy it.  I've tried to reduce the things I do have to only what's essential.  Giving the things I no longer need to friends and family or donating to charities is a good way to accomplish this.  This also helps me simplify all the stuff in my home.  I try to reuse what I have.  For instance, I reuse salsa and marinara jars to store leftovers.  I've learned exactly what my local recycling facility will accept and how to prepare the items so they will actually get recycled.  I've also researched other ways to recycle items that aren't accepted in curbside recycling.  And I have been composting our food scraps and some cardboard items in our backyard compost bin.   

Personal sustainability matters.
Kathryn Kellogg talks about this in her book and it really resonated with me.  She says, "Personal sustainability is so important, and it will look different for everyone- only you know your schedule, level of determination, and laziness factor."  It can be time-consuming if you are making your own toothpaste and pasta sauce and bread all the time.  So you have to decide what makes the most sense for you and go with that.  And you don't have to do it all- especially not all at once.

Start small.
Pretty much any book or blog you read about taking steps towards going zero waste recommends starting small.  So when you run out of an item, first, ask yourself if you really need it.  If you do, then look for a plastic-free alternative.  I think the first swap I made was with dental floss.  I ran out of what I typically buy and decided that I did need to get more.  So I opted to buy silk floss that can be composted.  It comes in a little refillable glass and metal container.  Then I ran out of sponges.  I realized I didn't need sponges, but I did need something to scrub my dishes clean.  I did some research and ended up buying a wooden dish-washing brush.  So it's been helpful to just focus one swap at a time.

A few easy swaps: reusable paper towels, using a kitchen towel instead of plastic wrap while bread dough is rising, bar soap instead of hand soap in plastic bottles and a dish-washing brush instead of a sponge. 

Not every swap will make sense for you.
Sometimes you'll try something and it won't work out and that's okay!  For example, I tried out solid dishwashing soap.  I gave it a good couple weeks, but it left my dishes greasy, my sink covered in slime and I wondered what was building up in the drains.  So I switched back to Dawn dish soap, which comes in a plastic bottle.  I was bummed, but then I reminded myself of all the other changes I've made.  It's not helpful to focus on your failures.  Just try to think of another swap you could make to offset what didn't work out.

Not everyone will be on board with your decisions. 
I'm very lucky that my husband Adam is happy to try new, more sustainable options.  He's been generally on board with the swaps I've made, though I've made it clear that he's still welcome to make his own decisions.  I've recently started using reusable tissues that I made out of leftover fabric.  He's still not willing to give up his Kleenex, which is just fine.  Archer and Lyla are still young enough that I get to make the decisions for them.  Things will likely change when they get older, but we'll deal with that when the time comes.  My family has been supportive too, which is nice.  After I made the swap to reusable paper towels (one of Adam's old t-shirts all cut up), my dad sent me a picture of a dish of cut up towels that my mom set next to the sink.  I can't tell you how happy a cut up old towel made me.  That's the beauty of the ripple effect.  You never know just how much influence you might have to make a positive change.  But not everyone agrees with my crazy ideas.  I know some people might roll their eyes at me or think I'm being too extreme.  But that's okay.  I get to decide what happens in my home and they get to decide what happens in their homes.

Stop buying crap. 
This is perhaps the most simple concept, yet the most difficult one for me.  I was buying so much stuff that I just didn't need.  Shopping was my hobby.  I would wander the aisles at Target and buy a vase I liked or sheets just because they were on sale.  I bought clothes because they were a good deal, would wear them once, and then decide I didn't really like them so I'd get rid of them.  When I first started on my plastic-reducing journey, I started buying non-plastic replacements for everything.  It wasn't really in the spirit of zero waste.  For instance, I used to use those disposable swifter dusters.  So I decided to buy a wooden-handled, fleece duster that is washable.  It worked fine, but I realized later that I could have just used old rags I already had at home.  So I've since tried to come up with solutions that I already have in my home before buying something else new.  For example, I was going to buy some new Mason jars to house items I buy from the bulk section.  But then it dawned on me that I had already been saving empty salsa and marinara jars that could do the trick.  It was the perfect example of reusing.  Buying stuff has been a hard habit to break, but I've been doing a much better job.  I ask myself if I truly need something and make myself sleep on it before I commit.  I've also saved a lot of money!

So what's the point of this blog post?  It's not to toot my own horn or tell people how they should live their lives.  It's merely to share some information I have found helpful.  I hope you might find a swap or two you could try out that will benefit you or the environment.  Ultimately, I'm doing this for Archer and Lyla.  I want my kids to be healthy and have a beautiful planet to call home for years after I'm gone.  The actions I take now will dictate what happens to their future.  That's a big responsibility and I want to do what I can to make a difference.  If you would have told me I'd be collecting used floss and clumps of hair from the shower drain in a jar to put in my compost bin, I'd have told you that firstly, you are disgusting.  And secondly, I will not be doing that.  But that's exactly what I do.  And I have no shame about it!  (However, I'll spare you photographic evidence.)

Let me be clear, I'm far from perfect.  My kids still use disposable diapers.  Some of the food I buy still comes in plastic packaging.  Occasionally I will slip up and order something online that I don't really need.  But that's okay because I'm only human.  There will always be room for improvement, so I will just keep on trying to improve.

The pandemic has thrown a bit of a wrench in some of my efforts.  Grocery stores aren't allowing customers to bring in their own containers or reusable bags. (I still forgo the plastic produce bags and just have the baggers put my food back in the cart without any bags.)  They've also closed up their bulk bins, which made me really bummed.  My favorite coffee shop won't allow customers to bring their own cup. (I've since nailed down a delicious recipe for hot chocolate to make at home.)  But I know the pandemic won't last forever, even though it seems like it might right now!  I'll just do what I can to cut down on waste, but also cut myself some slack if I do rack up more waste than I'm used to. 

My next goal is to tend to my new little garden.  I planted cherry tomatoes, broccoli and cucumbers.  There's also mint in there that comes back every year despite how much I uproot it.  Lyla and Archer have been helping me water it and I can't wait until we get to pick some of our very own produce!

Welcome to the rabbit hole!