My typical gardening routine each year is to start enthusiastically and then fizzle out as the weather gets hot and beds are overwhelmed with weeds. A part of that is I was battling beds filled with rocks, deteriorating weed-blocking fabric, and plants I didn’t like. There wasn’t a lot of incentive to care for it until we did an overhaul. … Read More
favorite recent online garden purchases (and savings)
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Wikibuy. All opinions expressed in this post are honest and my own. I shared about Wikibuy a few weeks ago and have continued to use it while shopping online (which I’m doing a lot more these days!) I say “use it”, but I really don’t have to do anything. I simply shop and, when … Read More
Patio Makeover Reveal
Disclosure: This patio makeover post is sponsored by Walmart. As always, all opinions and words are honest and my own. Welcome to a typical suburban patio makeover! These are scattered all over suburbia…the concrete pad just off the walk-out basement sliding door, shaded by the deck. It’s the builder-grade default. We’ve seen our neighbors do some beautiful things with this … Read More
Edging & Painting the Concrete Patio
Last Thursday, the weather was lovely. It was sunny, wasn’t too hot, and there was a light breeze. It was the perfect day to get the patio under our deck painted. Oh, this patio was so sad and neglected. It felt so good to finally give it some attention! Before we could paint, we had to get it all cleaned … Read More
tending to the back & side gardens
Let’s talk about something I’ve been largely avoiding since we moved into our house almost three years ago… the yard. We did do a massive amount of work on the front gardens a couple of years ago, because I didn’t enjoy being greeted by a weedy mess each time I came home. The youth group at our church was hiring … Read More
milk paint backdrops, blueberry ink, & creative community
Last week was the first week that I felt like I was settling into a new routine. The previous weeks were about figuring out this new normal…the stress of feeling like I’m bringing toxic waste into the house when I order groceries or check the mail, the struggle of learning how to do school from home, the worry of the … Read More
pick-me-up plants
Saturday night was a rough one. Jeff and Marshall (my oldest) slept in a tent set up in our backyard, so that meant I was on overnight diabetes-duty on my own. For those who don’t know, Calvin, our youngest is a type 1 diabetic. This is just a normal part of our lives and we all work together to manage … Read More
how to dry annabelle hydrangeas
I have been patiently waiting until my Annabelle hydrangeas were just right, so I could cut off the blooms and dry them. I did this last year and I have been so pleased with how long the dried flowers have lasted! I cut them almost a year ago and they still make a nice bouquet. I waited until the blooms … Read More
