Bloom Where You're Planted!

While working at home with Ethan, I'm trying to tackle projects that I wouldn't be able to do for our family if I was working 9-5.

The latest installment? Building a raised vegetable garden in our backyard!

Before:

Luckily for me, I had a little redheaded contractor on hand to supervise the labor!

 

 

I built a 4x4 ceder raised bed, in part to avoid toiling and aerating the soil as I was able to fill it with rich soil ready for planting instead. 

 

Then I divided the bed into square foot sections, following the "square foot gardening" strategy, which aims to produce the most in the least space.

 

I planted (clockwise from bottom left) tomatoes,  yellow onions, yellow bell peppers, red bell peppers, basil, yellow squash, strawberries, and cucumbers.

After:

 Let's see how it goes!   Building a bed was one thing, getting the garden to produce something might be a whole other story!

Happy Easter!

This morning Ethan awoke to surprises from the Easter Bunny! First, he found a basket filled with his two new favorite things, trains and dinosaurs.

Then he took his basket to hunt for Easter eggs! Of course, with us as parents, the Easter Bunny knew better than to put candy in those eggs. 

 “I’ll show you where to go Mommy!”

 “Where are the rest of them Daddy?”

After finding many more with Daddy... 

Ethan gave him a high five!

First Easter Egg hunt- SUCCESS!

I'm going to kill Sesame Street!

Ethan watched this episode called "Mine-i-tus," and learned a valuable lesson... how to clutch his chest, toy, object and yell "MINE!!!!"  Ugh, that was not the lesson I think they were going for.

And I consider you an accomplice Brian Williams!




(if reading in an email or on facebook, go to www.livingingear.blogspot.com to view the video evidence)

The first thing I did when Ethan finally started sleeping through the night?

Renovated our bathrooms!

Ethan finally started sleeping solidly from when he went to bed until early (and I mean EARLY, like 5am early) the next morning, and for the first time since we moved into our home, I had the chance to update some parts of the house I really disliked.  I've been conscious to not "over-improve" as HGTV always warns me, so it's more of a refresh than a renovate.  But still, I think it's a much more pleasant uh... throne for our castle.  I did both of them, but here's the most dramatic change.

Before:

Awful Hollywood lights.

The entire room was the same butter beige, the tile, the walls, the door, and even the trim.

The brass hardware was rusted.

The dated look mocked my drowsy mornings.

After:

Painted the trim and door a clean bright white, the walls "Artic Blue," re-caulked and refinished the grout.

Removing the extra cabinet unit made more space in the already cozy bathroom.

Updated the look with a new medicine cabinet and updated light fixture (my first electrical work).  Installed both all by myself!

Goodbye nasty brass hardware!

Hello clean, fresh, and updated bathroom!

Meet Ethan the Builder!

 

Monday we went to the National Building Museum with some of Ethan's friends, and Ethan and Chris had a blast.

Playing with one of his several redheaded friends.

Chris quickly became the Toddler Boy Whisperer!

"Now what else needs fixin'?"