Fall Porch

Fall is my favorite season. Maybe because of the beautiful colors, maybe because the temperatures are more mild, maybe because of the warmer, snugglier clothes and pumpkin everything, maybe because it only lasts for a brief, dazzling moment. It really doesn't matter why. I just love it!

Brotherly Love

I could not have asked for Ben to be a better big brother. From day one, when Max was born, he was a huge help. Getting diapers, wipes, pacifiers, whatever I needed. Now that he is older, he entertains Max while I feed the baby. He reads books to the baby, sings to him, and tells him,stories.

He loves his brothers SO much. Every morning he asks to hold the baby. Every afternoon, the first people  he acknowledges when he gets off the bus are the boys. Ben and Max are best friends. I have no doubt that the baby will seamlessly join the pack based on the amount of love that Ben, and Max, has for him.

Thank you Ben for being such an amazing big brother!

Landscaping Rookie, Closing the Gap

I never thought that I would be interested in landscaping other than scanning pictures and saying "ooh that looks pretty," or having favorite flowers (hydrangea, lilac, lupine, and daisies, in case you were wondering). This all changed when they started clearing the lot next to us to make room for a new house. Remember, in my post here, one of my positives to moving to this neighborhood was the tranquil setting and the privacy. Well, with the house going in next door, and the subsequent construction over the last few months, there is neither tranquility, nor privacy. 

Just as a reminder, here are some photos of our previously mostly-private back yard:

 

 Nice, right?

To be fair, we always knew that there would be a house built in the lot next to us. However, we thought that we would have a four or so feet of wooded buffer before the cleared lot. Unfortunately, due to an oversight, our lot was not surveyed. (Advice #1 when building a new house: MAKE SURE THE LOT IS SURVEYED BEFORE BUILDING) When the lot next to us was surveyed it was discovered that our lot line was incorrect. This had a few negative effects. We had to move our septic and leech field (not "we," our builder) and get our backyard relandscaped, AND we were left with a gaping hole of nothingness between our home and the neighbors. So much for privacy! (Advice #2 when building a new house: MAKE SURE TO LOOK AT THE SUBDIVISION PLAN TO SEE EXACTLY WHERE THE HOUSES AROUND YOU WILL BE PLACED. Ask yourself; Do I have enough of a buffer between me and my neighbors? If not, pick another lot, unless you are looking for close neighbors, of course.)

Don't believe me? Here you go:

Nice, right?

So, the Hubster and I decided that something needed to be done. If we were different sorts of people we may have made a big deal of our new lack of privacy, but instead we went into problem solving mode. At first we discussed fences, but realized that although they would be a good, quick solution, they would not provide privacy for the boys' upstairs bedroom windows. So, we quickly switched directions and started researching trees. We needed fast-growing trees, that would grow 12+ feet and that would be easy to maintain as neither of us are what you would call gardeners.

My researching spanned at least six weeks (not kidding) and I have to say that I know more about privacy screening trees for Zone 5 (that is our plant hardiness zone) than I ever wanted to know. I can now actually decipher the differences between quite a few arborvitaes and spruces. I know all about hemlocks which, by the way, was our first choice. Unfortunately the local nurseries were all out until spring and there was NO WAY I could deal with no privacy until then. 

After all of this, I actually find myself driving down the street trying to figure out what other people have in their lawns and then come home and research to see if those trees would be a better option. I even took a picture of a tree while driving (I know, not safe!) and brought it to one of my local nurseries to find out what it was. (A viburnum seiboldii if you are wondering.)

We ended up with eight trees. Yes, it was WAYYYY more money than we wanted to spend. Luckily the nursery was having a sale and gave us some awesome deals. Before this adventure I never knew that nurseries had sales of up to 70% off in the fall. Makes sense I guess, I just never really thought about it because I didn't need to know. (AHHH the good old days). In the end, we actually saved almost one and a half times what we spent. Crazy, huh?

We paid the $55 extra to get them delivered and this is how the two Techny Arborvitaes, four Dark Green American Arborvitaes, and two Norwegian Spruces were left...along with dirt and mulch.

Oh, we also had DigSafe come out and mark out our underground wires just to be safe. We didn't want to dig a huge hole by hand only to hit electrical wires. Dangerous and a waste of time. This is a free service in Maine and the surrounding states. I am not sure if they have it in other states, but it is always good to be safe and take the extra precautions.

Now, it is important to know that I had a baby about four weeks before the trees were delivered, so I was supposed to be doing things like digging giant holes. This meant that Hubs got stuck doing all the manual labor. (Poor Guy) We were supposed to get some help from our "Dirt Guy," but he must have been too busy to fit us in, sooo we were on our own.

Here are some of the lovely holes:

 And then we hit the rock pile that was left over from when they blasted for our foundation. This slowed the digging considerably, but my wonderful husband took lemons and made lemonade (as they say) and constructed a lovely rock wall as he went.

When all the holes were dug, he started putting up the trees. Here he is, hard at work. To the left is one of the Dark Green American Arborvitaes that he put in.

 Here is another view of some of the progress...

 And, of course the boys were HUGE helpers. At least, the two older ones were.

What, are you not supposed to dig holes for trees with snow shovels and lacrosse sticks?



All I can say is, I love this man. He worked for over twelve hours straight putting these stupid lovely trees in. By the end he was covered scratches from the needles on the spruces. I tried to help repeatedly, but was not allowed.







Now we have some more privacy. It isn't ideal, yet, but we hope that when the trees grow a little we will have just as much privacy as we did before they sold the lot next door. If not, well we put some equity in the house for when we sell, right?

For Lunch Today: Easy Autumn Salad

I am obsessed with this salad for a few reasons.
1. I can make it while holding the baby.
2. It has goat cheese in it, which is something I don't eat while I am pregnant and missed terribly. (Although you could use cheddar cheese, which would make it more fall-ish)
3. The addition oft he nuts, seeds, and dried fruit from the trail mix makes me feel like it is one of those fancy salads that you get at restaurants.

Here's what you need:
Goat cheese
Archer Farms Sunny Cranberry Trail Mix, from Target

Kraft Creamy Balsamic Anything Dressing

Baby spinach
Baby carrots
Grape tomatoes
Cucumbers

You can really use any veggies that you want. I just use the ones that are easy to grab a handful of and throw into the salad. The only one that doesn't come in convenient grab and go form is the cucumbers, but I usually peel and cut up a cucumber or two every few weeks for my son's lunches, so I can just grab a handful of those too.

If you wanted to beef it up a little and make it a dinner, add some sliced chicken. On the days when I am really hungry I may add a handful of Wheat Thins to the side.

It is a yummy and simple salad that I have been eating almost every day for the last two weeks.

P.S. Sorry for the terrible pictures. I am working on it...

The Dream Big List

I have started what my husband calls my "Dream Big List - home edition." Our brand new house has a five page list of "projects" and general upgrades that we were stupid enough to think would happen soon after we moved in. I am no longer that naive and realize that if I don't make a list of everything I want to do with the house, I may never get what I want. As it is, I don't see most of this happening for years, maybe even decades; especially since I keep adding to it. But, hey, dream big or go home, right? Or maybe it should be, "Dream big or move."

Anyways, here is what I've got so far - Subject to additions, subtractions, and other revisions.

First Floor
Kitchen
* Replace cabinet over stove with hood
*Add tile back splash
* move microwave into cabinet in island
* add wine fridge
* move cabinets and add open shelving around sink

Dining Area
* add built-in seating
* move light/new light
* upgrade chairs and possibly table

Living Room
*add built-ins around fireplace
* add cabinet over fireplace to hide TV and mount TV onto the wall
* create an accent wall with ship lap
* new living room furniture
* paint door

Mud Room Area
* change closet to built-in bench, cubby to help with organization
* add shelving with doors to extra area over closets
* install sliding barn door 

Bathroom
* crown molding

Stairs
* add board and batten to staircase and landing
* create photo collage in staircase

Second Floor
Hall
* Find console table
* add board and batten (?)
* add crown molding
* replace baby gate at top of stairs

Master Bedroom
* Make/Find headboard
* Add built-in cabinets around windows and possibly window seat
* Replace carpet with hardwood
* Crown molding (?)
* Fix entry to crawl space so that it can be used as storage
* Add organization to closet

Master Bathroom
* Replace tub surround with tile
* Add hooks for towels
* Personalize
* Add tile around sink area

Yellow Bedroom
*crown molding
* closet organization 

Blue Bedroom
*crown molding
* closet organization 

Nursery
* decorate for Rylan
*crown molding

Boys' Bathroom
* Add hooks for towels
* Personalize

Basement
* Finish Basement
        - Organize work room
        - storage for all of our crap cherished heirlooms
        - add guest bedroom
        - possible half bath under stairs
        - playroom/ family room

Garage
* Paint walls
* Organize
* Add locker/cubby organizer by door

Outside
Front Yard
*Front patio 
*Tree/Large shrub for privacy from driveway across the street
* Landscaping at front of house
* Window boxes
* Stain front porch
* Paint ceiling
* Paint stair treads
* Put up house numbers
* Paint door trim
* Add to supports (brick? beef up?)

Backyard
* Add privacy trees (partially complete)
* Add shed
* Fireplace
* Patio/deck
* Build bridge to paths into woods
* Landscaping

Long-term (i.e. Big, Big, Big, dreams)
* Addition off of dining area to be office/playroom
          - create patio off of new addition
          - add built in grill attached to propane
          - add pergola
* Rework 2nd floor hallway to create access to a finished third floor to add two rooms and possibly 1/2 bath

So, that is it. From time to time I may go back to edit, add to, delete this list as my dreams change. I may even post about inspirations for some of the items on this list. If you can't wait for that, check out my Pinterest board, "For Home" most of my inspiration ends up in there!

Just looking at this list makes me feel completely overwhelmed... wouldn't it be nice to be rich and just be able to do it all at once? There I go dreaming again!

Prepping for Baby: Feeding the Family

It is no secret that when you return home from the hospital with a newborn baby you are less than energetic. In fact, if you are like me, you may find your sweet spot on the couch, nestle you tender body into it, and do everything that you can not to move for two to three weeks.

With my first son this was pretty easy. My husband was lovingly caring for me, waiting on me hand and foot, cleaning, preparing meals, basically being my house b (as he called it). Additionally ever extended family member and friend I had ever know was chomping at the bit to snuggle with my perfect, beautiful baby, and would do any chore I asked for the chance. Even when my HB had to return to work, I was able to milk the princess status for another week or two.

When my second son entered the world, things got a little more complicated. Yes, my husband picked up his role of HB again, but his attention was split between the baby and I, playing with my 4 year old when he was home, and constructing a play set that the four year old had received for his birthday when the little angel was at daycare. (Who knew it took so long to set those things up?) And, yes, we still had the slew of visitors to cuddle with this new little prince, but they were more likely to spend time playing with the 4 year old than doing chores for me. This resulted in the unfortunate predicament that when dinner time rolled around there was rarely any dinner prepared, or easy to make, for my starving 4 year old angel, my darling husband, or for my battered self. Luckily my mother rallied the troops and prepared food started showing up on my doorstep from friends and complete strangers (lovely co-workers of my parents) alike. Additionally, my husband happily ordered take-out at least four nights a week. Not the healthiest option.

I vowed that this would not happen again when my third son made his beautiful self known. I was about to be the mother of three, three boys no less, I had better get my shit together. So, I began planning and searching Pinterest for every make-ahead meal I could find. This pre-planning made the difference between letting my family starve (not really) and keeping them healthily, happily fed. This
one step helped ease my transition back home and took a little bit of worry off of my plate. No matter what, the family would be fed!

If you would like to prepare some meals in advance here are some pieces of advice and recipe resources that may help. Personally, I cook more as a necessity than for pleasure, so I tend to go for easier recipes that require fewer pots (less dishes!). Just wanted to let you know so that you don't expect gourmet recipes.

Tips:

1. I recommend starting four or five weeks before your due date. This way you can make double batches of meals you are already cooking over the span of days and weeks instead of getting stuck in a weekend cooking marathon. Unless you like that sort of thing. If so, then more power to you.

2. Purchase disposable aluminum pans and tin foil. This way, when you are done, you can throw away the pan which means less dishes. Yay!

3. Search for recipes your family will like to eat. Here are some sites that I found:
Southern Girl Cooking
Cooking Light: Best Freezable Meals
Fitness Magazine: Make ahead meals

4. Don't be afraid to use tried and true recipes that you know your family already loves. I made shepherd's pie, baked ziti,  stuffed green peppers, and chicken enchiladas.

5. If you have in season veggies make good use of them. When I was prepping my meals corn was in season. I simply bought extra, blanched it (boiled it for a few minutes, then immediately put it unto an ice cold bath) and froze it for an easy, healthy side. Bonus: when we actually ate the corn it was no longer in season so it was n added treat for my two boys who LOVE corn on the cob, but get sick of it when we eat it almost every night in the summer. (Imagine that)

6. Get your kids into the action. They LOVE helping out in the kitchen!

Oh, and once the baby comes and you are just at the edge of being able to function again, but still tired most of the day, the crock pot WILL become your best friend. That way you can make dinner when you have the energy and time (i.e. when the older kids are at school/daycare.)

This was honestly one of the best things that I did to prepare for the baby. It has made the transition SO much easier. I hope it helps you too!

If you have any other great, easy, recipe sources please feel free to share. I am still using my crock pot AT LEAST four days a week. In fact, I have applesauce cooking right now!

One year in... A Review

We have been in our home for a little more than a year and I think this is a good place to see what has changed in the year. So, here we go...

#1 THE biggest change is that our family has grown by one. Our third son was born at the beginning of the month. We have now, officially, filled all of the "extra" rooms that we had by moving into this new, bigger home, and we couldn't be happier. Our newest addition is beautiful and has fit in so easily, it is almost as if he has always been here.

#2 The peace and solitude that we thought we had found with this location is no longer. The lot next to us has sold and a new home is being built MUCH closer to our property than we thought was possible due to some mistakes in the surveying of the lots (GRRRR). Yes, it stinks, but on the positive side, hopefully our new neighbors will be awesome. Hopefully. (Spoiler alert: an upcoming post  on advice to those of you hoping to build your own home will include these two issues. Did I say GRRRR?)

#3 We have completed our front patio!

#4 We have almost completed updating the front porch. We only have staining left to do.

#5 We have a new (and improved?) backyard. Due to the surveying mistakes our septic and leech field had to be moved and our backyard had to be ripped up (boo). As a result we got a bigger (yay) and leveled (yay) backyard, with mulch under the play area to cut down on weed-waking under the play set and tics (yay). Three yays > one boo, right?

#6 The hubby has still yet to finish his work bench, but part of it is a very bright shade of blue!

So there you have it, I had hoped to be further along than this at this point, but what can you do? We were getting ready for the baby and life happened along the way. Maybe this experience will help teach me a little patience.