7 Quick Takes Friday

Last Sunday we went on a Yard & Home Walking Tour hosted by a local store called The Better Good. We only stayed for 3 houses before Andy & the kids were done, but I learned a lot.

The first house we went to was build to have nearly 0 carbon footprint. What they did is pretty crazy. I didn’t take notes, so I haven’t details, but I think they heat all their water with solar (even through the winter), they have no gas hooked up to the house (but have electric as back up), and they collect all their rainwater for various uses. In the front yard they have the gutters hooked up to soaker hoses that also drop excess into these ‘mounds’ of soil, which are stacks of wood piled with soil. Apparently the wood can soak up water and slow release it, and it also breaks down eventually, releasing nutrients into the soil. The solar they have is primarily thermal solar, but I don’t know much about it.

The house that really got my attention was the garden house (the last one we visited). It felt so very well designed – both aesthetically and practically. I loved it.

4 different varieties of grapes!Cucumber & tomatoes climbing the fenceThe sunflowers gave shade in the garden

I’ve nearly completed the little craft nook that I’ve been dreaming about for the kids. I took a before photo and posted it awhile ago:

this is the after (so far, and I’ve circled all my lovely ‘paint within the lines’ blunders. I always hated colouring in the lines…)

The desk that I’ll be putting up for them is located in the corner of the picture too. We’ll be installing it at standing-height use for Spencer and slightly shorter…I’ve always found that kids have a hard time sitting down, so my idea is that the desk be at a height where they can do their stuff while standing.

I also have trim, but I was to paint it red first. Apart from those things, it’s nearly done! Just a complete mess on the floor. Eventually I want to put in shelves so that we can store the crafty stuff there, and especially putting what they use regularly within their reach, but that’s beyond my ability to think ahead at this point.

I’ve started creating my Fall line of items for Mama Knows Best. I’m very slow on getting the website up (I should shoot myself in the foot an be put on bed rest so the stupid thing gets done), but I’m hopeful that something will be up by the end of the weekend, even if it’s not the final look I’m going for. And I’m now up on Facebook!

Stinkin’ hot! That’s what today is supposed to be. We are heading up to a friend’s place to hang with her kids either at a splash park or her backyard inflatable pool. Yesterday we were leaning towards her backyard because it would mean that we could drink coolers. Yes, this is how we plan thing in our house.