Lifetime Playset

I have wanted a playset for our backyard sinced we moved in two years ago, but they're expensive and a huge project to build.  We had a wooden playset at our last house and I was hoping this metal one would be easier to assemble.  

I was WRONG.  The online reviews said it would take 2 people around 8 hours to build.  That was also WRONG.  It took Kevin and my Dad and a little help from me and my mom an entire week of working on it for good chunks of time.  It probably took us 24 solid hours with a team to build.  They may never let me live this project down, BUT the kids love it and I think we're all happy to get to enjoy it now that the assembly part is out of the way.

We started on a chilly Saturday in May and finished the following Saturday.

Some serious eye rolls and WHITNEY comments were made when they saw the table full of hardware that needed to be organized.

SO HAPPY.

There is a city map on floorboard of the tower and Leo loves driving his cars up there.  Then he sends his cars down the slide for some extra fun.

Sweet memories.

100% worth all the hard work.  The kids play on the playset every single day.

We found this set on sale at Sams in April.  It's a beast to assemble, but we've been really happy with it so far.  And Kevin says I was right - the kids love it - but it was a tough project even for guys who are familiar with building and assembling.

Our Creek

The kids have been very busy working in our creek this year.

  

The boys have cleared a whole new trail.  

Olive is keeping close tabs on all the bird nests and the honeysuckle.  

Leo has mastered using gardening tools for trimming.

Fletcher hunts for the coolest rocks.

It's their favorite spot to play.

Our backyard play set arrived on a giant pallet.  As soon as the kids saw it, they knew it would make the perfect bridge for our creek.  Once we got the playset built, they talked me into helping them find the perfect spot for their new bridge.  We all put on gloves and used our muscles to move it across the yard.  We scoped out all the spots the bridge could go and settled on this one.  It is secure and they are really careful when crossing it.  The kids are so proud to be able to have a working bridge.  Maybe one day we'll have fun neighbors build a house on the other side of the creek!

They spend a ton of time working in the creek.  That means they're trimming things up.  Making stick piles for bonfires.  Keeping a close eye on all of the wild blackberries and finding treasures that wash away from the farm nearby.

This mama robin was really fun to watch.  She had three babies to take care of this Spring.

Fletcher and I worked hard to cut out this construction barrier that goes the length of our property.  It was a dirty, sweaty job, but we were able to remove tons of it.  The boys have their own set of shovels and tools for the creek.  Leo can now trim blackberry bushes like a pro.  He trims them and picks the trimmings up with his tool avoiding all the sharp stickers.  Smart guys!

Fletcher loves to rescue animals and makes sure to bury any creatures that don't make it.  He set up this whole grave for a baby bird that didn't make it.  Flowers and all.

Fletcher also discovered this pretty rose bush when he was cutting a new trail.  It was so pretty filled with whilte blooms this Spring.

We always love to see what pretty flowers pop up at the creek.

We see all kinds of critters - bunnies, snakes, turtles, birds, frogs and the ocassional bald eagle overhead when we're playing outside.  The creek is their favorite part of our yard and hopefully a place that will hold some of their favorite childhood memories.

A Collected Home

One of my goals for our home is for it to be full of things we have collected.

Things that we love.  Things that remind us of favorite places and favorite people.  Things from trips, travels and adventures.  Plus a mix of antiques or family things.  We've got some new things, some things from Amazon or big box stores, but our favorite things are the ones that we've collected.  Those are the ones that last forever and make us smile.

This rainbow scoop was a souvenir from Key West.  That was one of our ports on our 30th birthday cruise.  I smile and think of key lime pie and Ernest Hemingway's cats every time I scoop sugar.

My dad has collected crocks my whole life.  My mom had baked my whole life.  I have a wooden rolling pin that was my grandmas in this crock and the crock is from my dad.  We both loved the blue finger prints that were surely a mistake.  This olive oil jar is a treasure from Park City, Utah.  My parents came out for a visit.  We headed up the mountain to Park City and my mom bought it for me.  I smile and think of the mountains and my mom every time I use it.  

Did you know that I have a plate collection?  I love a set of pretty plates.  I try to pick up floral or polka-dot plates in sets of 2 or 4 any time I see a pattern that I love.  We were strolling through the streets of Savannah, GA one Spring day when Olive and I tagged along with Kevin for a work trip.  We shopped and explored the moss tree covered streets.  I think of Spanish Moss and southern living every time I use these plates from Anthropologie.

This pretty plant was a housewarming gift from my aunt and uncle.  It seems to love this spot!  See that quirky little caterpillar?  It's hand painted by Fletcher when we were at a pottery shop in Wisconsin.  I love that happy little critter.  And the framed photo.  It's from my Class of 2000 high school graduation party.  Kevin's name tag said something like Whitney's Man on it.

This picture instantly takes us back to Ft Myers, Florida.  We had the best trip there staying at a tiny beach side condo.  We hope to go back one day soon!

What are your favorite collected items in your home?

Creating Margin in Your Life

I have been working hard to create margin in our lives.  

It's taken a lot of work on my part, but my whole family is starting to see proof around the house.  Many areas around our house are no longer filled to the max.  We have empty spaces on shelves, free space in closets and it feels like our house has breathing room.  I still have a ways to go - I'm talking to my garage, holiday closet and cabinets.  But I wanted to document my progress in the hopes of inspiring you to reorganize, declutter and claim back some free space in your home.

I will never fall into the catergory of a minimalist.  That is not my goal.  I just hope to have a house filled with things we love and use.  Not a storage unit for clutter and chaos.

This cozy corner of our primary bedroom makes me smile.  The two books that I have read this year are on my nightstand and no clutter.  No toy baskets or junk.  Just the prettiest essentials.

Olive mentioned that it would be fun to have a cozy reading spot in her closet.  I worked hard to clear out the clutter and give her a cozy spot to hang out if she wanted to.  Kids and cats really do like cozy little spots to snuggle up in.

When the boys saw that Olive's closet had been cleaned out, they requested the same for their closet.  I spent the weekend reorganizing boy clothes that get passed down from Fletcher to Leo and now they have a cozy spot to enjoy in their closet.  It really is a breath of fresh air to open the kid's closets and have plenty of room to grow.

After adding some shelves in all of our downstairs closets, we have been able to reorganize and get things up off of the floor.  I love seeing the clean and clear pantry floor when I go into our walk in pantry.  I bake a ton and love a good cake plate.  That means my shelves are full of things that I love.

And lastly, this table tends to attract clutter of games and toys on the bottom shelf.  We reorganized a bit and only kept a few games in the baskets.  This space feels much friendly and easier to access for us.  The shelf could hold a lot more, but we tend to avoid using any of the games if we have to dig through layers and layers of clutter.

Disclaimer: I do want to acknowledge that you might find yourself in a season of life where space is tight and every inch of your home is being used.  That's okay.  We lived that way for a lot of years.  We loved our 900 sq ft one bedroom apartment when we lived in Utah, but it was packed to the brim.  There wasn't a lot of breathing room.  It was fine.  We survived.  If I could go back in time, I'd probably try to declutter as much as I could and enjoy my home.  We were just doing our best!

So do what you need to do, and see if there is anything you could donate, sell, consign or gift to free up some space in your home!!  

Let me know if you have any questions about making margin in your home.  

I do have one warning.  Once you start freeing up space, you'll probably be motivated to work on making margin in your whole home! It just feels so good!

High End Items on a Budget

Do you have a favorite spot to shop for high end items on a budget?

I do!  I have found some name brand treasures for a fraction of their original price at stores like TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods.  Here are a few examples of what to look for in case you are wanting some high end items without the high price tags.

1. Clothing

I talked about this Tommy Hilfiger Classic Band jacket a few weeks ago.  It's so cute and comfy.  The best part was that I got it for a super deal at Marshalls.  The original tag said $109.50 and I grabbed it for $22!!  What a deal!  Each color is a different price in store and on Amazon so if you find a higher end item that you love, keep an eye on the prices.  I linked the jackets in this post.

I also love to pick up higher end shoes at stores like Marshalls and TJ Maxx.  These Cynthia Rowley flats were marked down to around $10 in the Fall.  They're nice shoes at a great price.

I try to always glance at the clearance sections just in case I can spot a treasure like these!

2. Lamps

Did you see this lamp on my Friday post?

I'm in love!

I've been on the lookout for the perfect statement lamp for this corner of my kitchen since we moved in over two years ago.  I just couldn't find the right one.  I waited and shopped.  Shopped and waited.  Then finally found it last week!

I have a knack for spotting and loving the most expensive lamps.  It's my gift :)  Same thing with rugs.  But this time I just knew this blue and white Ralph Lauren lamp would be perfect.  It's tall, beautiful, makes a statement and I love the mix of wood, floral base and a pretty shaped shade.  And after looking for 2 years, I knew that pretty lamps don't last.  You have to grab things that catch your eye because they go quick and aren't restocked. 

The original Ralph Lauren tag said $215 and the HomeGoods tag was $129.99.  It was a splurge, but I knew it was perfect!

I love that you get to see the lamps plugged in at HomeGoods and most come with a light bulb.  You get an idea for the type of light it will give in your space.  And they are easy to return if you take it home and don't love it.

3. If you can find any character items at stores like these, grab them!  Olive loves Stitch and the Stitch merchandise is so much cheaper here versus online.  I have found a Stitch backpack, plates, stuffed animals and coffee cups for really affordable prices compared to online.

Mom tip: If you are shopping with your kids at stores likes HomeGoods, grab a ruler for them to measure with while you shop.  They're hanging all over the store.  Just tear one off and have your kid measure and practice counting while you browse.  Leo loved it!  Also pack lots of snacks so they can snack in the cart while you shop.  

I love to find lamps, picture frames, wreaths, wrapping paper, holiday decor, kitchen items, pillows, rugs and gifts at these kind of stores.  You can get a great deal!  I do think their furniture is almost always over priced.  They have cute furniture, but $500/chair doesn't feel like a HomeGoods deal to me.

Where do you have the best luck finding high end items on a budget?

Closet Makeover

My Dad has been busy giving our downstairs closets a makeover!  He did completely custom closets in our last house so this was familiar territory for him.  Thankfully, we just needed an upgrade and not a complete makeover this time.

We have really nice closets and tall ceilings in our house, but they all needed more shelves to maximize our storage.  I wanted to be able to move more off the floor.  I asked my Dad to put adding a top shelf in our pantry to his to do list and then he said there were probably other closets that needed more shelves.  He was right.  He ended up adding another row of shelves in 3 different closets - our walk in pantry, our snack pantry and our primary walk in closet.

I did some initial measuring that he later confirmed.  He shopped for the supplies and prepped as much as possible as he could at home.  He used leftover trim paint from the board and batten trim project he did for us earlier this year.  Then he spent 3 almost full days working at our house.  He said the install portion took longer than he expected with all the measuring, cutting, fitting, sanding, caulking and painting.  Whew!  We supplied him with snacks, take out lunches and cookies.  I'm guessing he's glad to have this behind him and is hoping that our project list will be smaller in 2024 :)

Leo loved to be right by his side when he was working.  That was mostly cute.

Walk-in pantry BEFORE.  Amazing storage.  But it was messy and cluttered.

Leo carried barstools all around the house to make sure he was close to the action.

Work in progress.

I should have cleared off the top shelf, but I didn't realize his first work day was a morning I'd be gone.  So if you're having a similar project done at your house - clear as much out of the way as possible.  See how the shelves are crowded and I didn't love all the stuff on the floor.

Primary closet work in progress.

Walk-In Pantry AFTER!

Things are more spread out and up off the floor!  My next project is collecting more baskets and white containers to make the storage a little prettier.

Primary Closet BEFORE:

Amazing closet, but room for lots more storage up top.

Primary Closet AFTER!

We used the top shelf and then had a good 3-4 feet of blank space.  These shelves make the space make much more sense.  It looks like it should have always been that way.  Now we have more storage that is much sturdier than the builder grade shelf below.  I love the triangle brackets.  We are lucky to have a very large closet so four different sections ended up with new shelves.  I'm excited to find the best storage containers for the shelves and rearrange things a bit after the holidays.

I love this little nook.  It definitely needed a top shelf.  You know a project is a good one when it looks like it had always been that way.  Great work, Dad!

Now comes the fun part - thrifting pretty baskets, finding great clear storage containers and styling the shelves!  I'm so excited to have this big project done!  And I'm really excited that my Dad did way more than I originally asked.  He's generous like that.

Do you have any closet questions for me?