House Tour - Outside Refresh

When will we get tired of having some outdoor space to call our own? I'm not sure we ever will. The past month we've been taking advantage of the nicer weather to get things all pretty for the spring/summer. I've shared about the location and area amenities back in the fall (see here) but this is a peek of our "yard" spruced up for the season.

Mandy wanted to put window boxes on the balcony in Kip's room. The balcony is small and not really usable but it faces the street so window boxes are a nice addition. Of course it's impossible for me to get a good photo of them from the ground but this is from inside Kip's room.

 

And a close-up:

Would you believe those are all fake? Faux flowers and greenery make for easy maintenance and they don't attract bees (well if they do they fly away sooner). Mandy worked at several flower shops in high school/college so she know her way around arrangements and picking flowers that don't look fake. I love the little extra happy it adds to the front of the house. She did a really nice job.

For the balcony in Dan and my bedroom, it is much larger and usable. So I scrubbed it down and added a runner outdoor rug and Dan and I strung some bistro lights from the ceiling. I asked my mom for a glider bench for Mother's Day to put in our garage. She accidentally ordered two and one of them fit on the balcony! Right after we got everything set-up, the pollen dropped from all the trees and the balcony was covered in a layer of yellow powder and tree bud caterpillars. So, I had to clean it up again. But, now I've learned for next year to wait until after the pollen drops. Then Dan drilled some holes in the siding so I could hang some fern plants. I love how everything turned out! 

I'm hoping we can manage (or I can tolerate) the bug situation and take advantage of this space. Maybe for coffee and quiet time or for Dan and I to enjoy in the evening with the lights after the kids are in bed. 

In the back "yard" we have a tiny patio. Most of the homes in the community have decks but our building doesn't. We face the entrance to the large park and have a line of trees. We put the grill, grill cart, and small patio table out there. Even though there is a landscaping service, they don't do much for our struggling grass back here. There are a lot of tree roots and rocks which is making it hard for good grass to grow. Mandy is trying what she can and it's a learning process for all of us. And grass is growing!! This space gets great shade in the morning hours and is bright and sunny in the afternoon. Perfect for the water table play! 

One week later and the grass is filling out much more!

Mandy planted some small boxwood bushes in between the trees to hopefully grow a better barrier with the street. She also added flowers along the steps and some hanging baskets. It looks SO nice back there.

Mandy also added flower pots to the porch and the front of the house. Cute little lantern lights line the walkway too. Mandy has worked so hard and made everything so nice and pretty. I love all of it. Thank you Mandy!!

 

 

We plan to freshen the paint on the front door, add a kick plate, and we're working on getting the HOA to install a railing along the steps. The railing install was supposed to happen yesterday but the guys never showed up so I'll have to share that later.

We are really grateful that this community has so much mature landscaping that really makes everything green and lush and beautiful. But it's also nice to add our own touches as well and Mandy loves a good project. Great job Mandy!!

House Tour - Garage Makeover

So, I forgot about the "house tour" I was assembling posts for and I'm trying to pick it back up when time permits. Today, another look at the garage after we made some improvements.

We decided to utilize our two car garage as more of a multipurpose space and less of a parking space. One, we don't park our cars in here. Two, it's huge. Three, the previous owners left a bunch of storage and shelving stuff which makes for organizing the space super easy. All we needed to do was freshen things up a bit. 

BEFORE

We painted the walls a nice gray (which reads more bluey in the light). We got better garage lights that actually brighten the space. We got a rack for storing brooms and rakes and added hooks to go above an old cubby bench that Dan and I. We de-cluttered the workbench/closet area and organized the shelves with bins. Holiday decor and things we don't use regularly use are up above the shelves or in the lofted storage unit. And those bike lifts are awesome!

 

AFTER

 

 

The floor is completely cleared space for indoor play. I got a new indoor/outdoor rug to put down under Kip's picnic table and added a weather seal to the table so it doesn't get water damage when we use it as a water table. 

 

Ivy also got the plastic water table for her Birthday which is a huge hit with both kids. That's an outside toy but easily stores here as well.

When my parents were here my Dad and Mandy added a screen door. And then we sanded and stained the gross old stairs

 

BEFORE

AFTER

 

My mom and dad got us the glider bench for Mother's Day/Father's Day gift and we have the little patio table and chairs to pull out onto the driveway when we play out there. The front of the house gets the afternoon shade which is perfect for letting the kids play outside without too intense sun exposure. Bonus, the garage stays really cool despite not having AC so it's great for warmer days. We're really looking forward to enjoying this space this summer and year round!

Weekending it - Grandma and Grandpa Visit

How is it nearly Wednesday already? I meant to post this Monday but here we are...

This past weekend, Grandma and Grandpa came to visit and we had our first taste of truly summer weather!! Kip was in heaven with extra playmates and even Ivy warmed-up to the company. 

We had four full days with them and made the most of it. We went to our local beach, played with the water table, made a trip to Target, and even got the pool out! The kids played with new toys and new books that Grandma and Grandpa brought and relished in all the extra attention. A lot of play time fun was had by all!! Come back soon!

 

The weather was in the 90s two days in a row and we've discovered our brand new air conditioner isn't functioning properly. Boooooo! So, that's the task for this week. Happy practically Wednesday!