Outdoor Christmas Decor Inspiration

 I know, I know. Halloween was less than a week ago and not everyone is ready to jump into Christmas. I am totally ready however and am starting to gather inspiration for decor. I want to get everything ordered that I need and make sure I am ready to go.

Last year I decorated pretty minimally outside and used some cheap pre-lit garlands on our handrails and the same on our mailbox. This year I want it to look a little nicer since I have had time to think about what I want. I know I didn't do much for Halloween and truly want to make up for it with my Christmas decor.

Here's what I'm thinking...

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I would like to get some nicer pre-lit garland to put on our new fence. I think it will look so nice against the white! I just need to find garland that looks nice, is pre-lit with a battery pack, and doesn't cost a million dollars. Let me know if you find anything!

                    

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We have a very small area to work with at our front door. It's very narrow and we can't place too much on the steps or we won't be able to use the front door. I bought a wreath a few weeks back that I will be putting up. I am also trying to think of decor I can place along our walkway since that is a new feature this year.  Someday our boxwoods will be large enough to wrap lights around, but right now they are still tiny and would look silly. 

I'm also thinking about doing either just lights or a lit garland to frame the doorway, that is something we could definitely incorporate.

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I am planning on decorating our mailbox again this year but I'm hopeful I can make it look a little nicer this year! I have something similar to what is in the picture above that my mom bought for us. Last year I wrapped a garland around the base on my mailbox but it didn't match at all. I still want to use the top part but will be on the lookout for other ideas for the base. 

What do you do to decorate for Christmas outside? I am wishing I put in window boxes this summer because they would look so nice! I will definitely continue to scour pinterest for decor ideas but it's hard when most of the pictures are huge houses with big front porches! I keep dreaming up my big house that we will build someday! I will keep on wishing for it, and my big front porch!!

Life Lately

You know when life has been super busy but it's just all your normal day to day things so you feel like you haven't actually done anything? That's what it's like around here! Life has been all about work, the house and Sophie. I go to work during the day and hang out at the house with Tim and Sophie at night. I attempt to keep the house clean, get all my errands and chores done and read or watch Netflix if I get the chance.

This is my life and I love it! Although, if I could be a stay at home dog mom that would be ideal. 

We finished our first round of Sophie's puppy classes at Fetch RI. She actually started listening pretty well by the end! We are thinking about doing another round but Sophie got fixed yesterday so it'll be a little while before we head back! This picture is from one of our many trips to Fetch RI where we picked up some new treats for Soph. She loves seeing the girls in the store and the treats there are her favorite!

Here are the beautiful flowers Tim picked for me on Valentines Day. I came home to a really nice meal and beautiful flowers!

Tim made homemade mac and cheese and it was absolutely delicious!

Here is Tim's other valentine! She was making sure that he didn't forget about her. 

How cute is this little face?! I am so obsessed with her.

We took Sophie on her first hike and she absolutely loved it. She definitely enjoyed sniffing everything and was so exhausted afterwards.

I cooked homemade chicken noodle soup and it was delicious! A little light on the broth but otherwise it was delicious! 

Here's Sophies new toy that we had to buy her! She plays with a similar bungee toy in her puppy class so this was a great purchase. 

Just a girl and her rose.

Tim took this picture and I'm obsessed with it! She's so sweet. 

After a busy day this girl was exhausted! Tim and I couldn't stop laughing at how her head was hanging off the couch. She laid like that for awhile too. 

On Saturday Sophie went to the dog park for the first time and at first we were the only ones there and she loved it. 

There were a ton of tennis balls there so we threw them and she brought them back. 

....and then other dogs arrived....and she because a little scaredy cat!

We still managed to have a good time though!

...and then a dog would come up to her and she would hide again! She's such a baby! 

We took her on a quick hike afterwards which she loved. 

It was so nice last weekend and it was great to get outside!

Here's a quick addition to our deck. We bought this grill before Christmas and Tim put it together on Sunday. We are excited to add to our outdoor decor and hang outside this Spring and Summer!

Finally, our new doormat for our side door! I thought it was fun and it was nice to get rid of the old one that was out there. I can't wait for the deck to be redone, it will look even more amazing!

What have you been up to lately?

DIY: Staining The Deck Railings

Last weekend I took to calling my dad "Tom Sawyer", which is because he tricked me into helping him paint the deck railings and then took off for a meeting! (Don't worry, he did come back eventually)

I just wanted to give you a quick visual of how much just a layer of paint can change the look of the deck. I was really impressed with how it looked afterwards.

Now here are a few before pictures:

Not great right?! The railings look weathered and old, which makes everything just seem blah!

Now check out the after pictures:

So much better right?! I think that a simple change in the railing color changed the whole look of this deck. Without the weathered look, everything looks so much brighter and newer.

The last time the deck was done a few years ago, a different product was used. This time we are hoping that it will last much longer since we used Behr Deckover.

Now, you know me- do you think I managed to keep myself clean?

Of course not! =)

Did you do any jobs outside this weekend?

Weekend Recap

This weekend started off with a Saturday shopping trip to buy a new camera! I have been thinking about buying a new camera for awhile now and finally bit the bullet. I will go into more detail about my new baby tomorrow =)

Later on Saturday, my dad and I headed off to a local place called Barbers Pond and spent some time kayaking (well I kayaked and he paddle boarded). It was great to get out and exercise a bit and enjoy the weather. It was HOT and I was definitely happy when I paddled into the shade. The pond water was so warm it was like bath water, definitely not refreshing! However it was a beautiful place to try out my new camera! (Which I kept in a ziploc bag when I was not using it)

Dad heading off on his paddle board. I don't think I would have enough balance to stay on that board!

I found a bunny on the shore! I was shocked that even though I'm not the quietest person, the bunny didn't seem to be afraid!

Testing out my cameras zoom, I think this picture came out really nice!

So many lily pads! Gorgeous place to be! There were a ton of dragonflies flying around too.


After getting home, I jumped right in the pool to cool off and then enjoyed time hanging around and finished reading Tina Feys book Bossypants which I will be reviewing soon. I also received news on Saturday that my friend Kayla had her baby boy! So my co-worker and friend Doreen and I made plans to go up and visit her on Sunday....


On Sunday, I had some errands to run, CVS couponing and a few other places so I headed off in the early afternoon to take care of a few things. Then I came back and got Kaylas present together (two packages of diapers and a box of chocolates) and waited for Doreen to come pick me up.

Brayden is truly a little angel. He was given a shot while we were there and didn't even cry! He is a totally relaxed baby and didn't even cry while I held him (which is unusual- babies seem to sense that I'm not truly comfortable with them...Toddlers and older I'm good, but infants make me nervous!)

Doreen and I each got a turn to hold this precious boy who is 6 pounds 11 ounces, a little peanut! We also soaked up the chance to chat with Kayla who we haven't seen much of since she left on maternity leave. She is taking the rest of the summer off with Brayden and then will probably be coming back to work in the fall.

Brayden seemed totally aware of everything that was going on, but completely sleepy at the same time. He kept yawning and stretching but would stare at you like he was trying to memorize your face and take in who you were.

I tried to tell him that I would see him in tumble tot in 18 months (that is when our youngest kids start at the studio) I know Kayla would love to have him join us for class!

Overall it was an amazing time visiting Kayla and Brayden and I'm glad that I got the opportunity to see him just after he was born. I have only met three other babies in the hospital, two were my cousins and one was a family friend, although all of those were YEARS ago...so it was nice to meet a new little baby! =)


How was your weekend? Did you do anything exciting?!

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July everyone! My day will (hopefully, if the weather holds up) be full of fireworks, friends, family, and good times. I have enjoyed this week immensely thus far and have simply been relaxing and doing whatever I please! I don't even feel bad about it! Okay, well maybe I feel a little bad...and have tried to throw in a few things off the to-do list that I have been meaning to do, but for the most part I've been just hanging around and doing whatever I want.

Other than a Disney practice on Tuesday (which was followed by a long discussion about what park we are going to when and what rides we plan to go on), I have been able to mostly hang out.

 Roxy and I have been snuggling...a lot!

Roxy also went and got a haircut yesterday, and she is not quite as fuzzy anymore...you can see the picture above compared to the picture below there is quite a difference!

I did a few pages of scrapbooking (and hope to continue to do more over the next few days...) I am still a year behind in my scrapbook (in June of 2012..) so I need to get more done before I fall even further behind.

Roxy and I also hung out on the porch with mom. My mom read on her kindle while I caught up on some blogs and organized some pictures. Roxy took a nap and got annoyed when I shoved my phone in her face to take a picture...

I hope you all enjoy a completely fabulous 4th of July, whatever it is you do! =)

Sunshine, Relaxation, and Fly Away

Happy Monday everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, mine was full of being outside in the sunshine, relaxing and reading. I spent a lot of time helping out around the house with gardening and getting the outdoor spaces in our yard looking nice. I read an entire book on Saturday which was amazing. I also managed to have dinner on Sunday with a great friend! I also was able to get in some great workouts!

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This novel was a sequel to Firefly Lane, a book I read a few years ago. If you haven't read Firefly Lane, I highly recommend it. This story truly starts in Firefly Lane, telling the story of Tully and Kate two best friends who are as different as night and day. 

Warning! Spoilers Ahead.

Fly Away, continues their story but in a less traditional way. Kate has been gone for four years, she passed away due to cancer. Her daughter has run away, her husband is doing all he can to keep his family together and Tully has landed in the hospital with a coma.  As soon as Tully lands in the hospital, everyone comes together to help bring her back. Kate's husband Johnny finally is able to forgive Tully, Marah (Kate's daughter) comes home to stay by her bedside, and even Tully's mother-wh has basically had nothing to do with her throughout her life shows up to take care of her. 

While Tully is in her coma, she is able to spend time with her best friend Kate but she can also hear her family taking to her body. There are a ton of elements that made feel like crying- the dynamics between Tully and her mother are so intense, I never expected that storyline to be as sad as it was. Marah also had a tough time after loosing her mother. I felt so sorry for her, although she made a few horrible decisions along the way. 

Overall, I thought it was a good book. I definitely preferred Firefly Lane to Fly Away, only because Fly Away was such a sad story. 

Next I plan on reading The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen which comes out tomorrow!

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I had a few great workouts this weekend. My Saturday workout consisted of walking on the treadmill followed by a workout on the stationary bike in our basement. Then on Sunday, I was able to get out for a run, but was forced back due to the rain starting to come down. I ended up running about 1.25 miles but I didn't feel like I got that great of a workout so I hopped on the treadmill and walked 5 miles. I love that I can walk on the treadmill and get a workout while I watch tv. I watched the end of the movie Little Fockers and then the season premiere of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Have I mentioned before how much I love mindless, reality tv?! 

How was your weekend? Did you read a good book or get a great workout in?

Cleaning Up Outside

On Sunday, we spent a great deal of time cleaning up outside. There were still a few branches hanging around from the Hurricane we had here back in the fall, and also down branches from the huge snowstorm we had during the winter. My dad has a chipper (which ended up not working for long) so we were able to get rid of a bunch of the smaller branches- and clean up the front woods of our house. 

We still have a ton of work to do outside but it is definitely coming along quite nicely!

We have mulched and weeded all of the garden and they look so nice with the rich red mulch that my mom chose. We also have loaded all the logs into our truck and brought them closer to the house to use for fires. It is nice to see progress!

What have you been doing to clean up your yard this year? I will try to get some pictures of our gardens and other outdoor areas and post them in the next few weeks! =)