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Outdoor

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It is the time of year when we all try to become enthusiastic about our garden design. It is not always an easy thing to do because looking after that piece of land is a never-ending and often thankless task when we are unable to use it thanks to the unreliable British weather.

Try to imagine for a moment, how you would spend money on your garden if you received a lump sum unexpectedly. The garden probably comes last on a long list, but it shouldn’t. There is much entertainment and pleasure to be found in your backyard, if you install some desirable features there. Honestly, sometimes just an interesting garden table and chair set can make a huge difference to your overall experience.

Here are some exciting features to renovate your garden with this summer.

New Decking

Decking is a fantastic and versatile material that will enhance any garden. It is useful for building platforms on sloping land, or for bringing patios up to the back doors at floor level, so going to sit on the garden furniture is like walking from one room to another. The deck is relatively easy to install compared to other materials and is suitable to take on as an amateur construction project. The platform is usually constructed with timber from trees grown in sustainable forests, but modern composite materials are now in common use. Composite timber has several advantages over real wood.

  • Resistance to mould and fungal infestations
  • Anti-slip properties when wet
  • Does not need annual treatment to protect it
  • Easily washes clean
  • Has a longer lifespan than timber
  • Keeps its looks over time

Are we going to see the demise of timber decking? We will have to wait and see.

Spa pool

Jacuzzis are a very popular garden feature at the moment. They are quite expensive though, and you will pay a few thousand pounds for a basic model. They come as complete units that only need power and  water supply to function. Gardens up and down the land are hosting sophisticated parties that finish with a glass of bubbly and a social soak in the tub.

Summer House

Do you enjoy days in the country? Well, take the kids out for the day without leaving home by building a stylish new summer house. Summer houses were once simple structures; little more than fancy garden sheds. Nowadays they are incredible buildings that have all conveniences built into them. Interior designers have worked their magic to make this garden feature into a room good enough to grace any home. Position it so that the main house cannot be viewed from there if possible, to help with the illusion that you are elsewhere. It will also work well as a heated dressing room to use when stepping out of the jacuzzi.

Water Feature

All gardens should have the sound of running water in them. Some people have gone to great lengths to build wild rapids in their garden, and others settle for a simple fountain feature that stands on the patio. The choice is yours.

So now you have imagined what features to install when you land a windfall, go out and buy a lottery ticket. Someone has to win it, and your numbers are as good as any others. you’ll never know if you don’t try.

Ever notice how the threat of company stopping by can motivate you to finish those someday projects?

Well this week’s visitors finally got me outside to make over our curb-side travesty of a mailbox.

Oh sheesh this thing is bad.

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I mean swinging-from-the-ugly-tree bad.

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Just check out that chipped paint, rusted top, peeling house numbers and seriously thrashed post. Our neighbors must hate us.

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But since Katie proved that spray paint and sanding can save anything, I figured a mailbox make over was worth a shot.

I mean really … could the thing look any worse?

I removed the peeling, reflective house numbers with Goo Gone and then scrubbed away the residue with a little soap and steel wool.

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Next is was the fine sand paper + damp cloth wipe down + coat of primer routine.

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Finally two coats of high gloss spray paint on both the box and post + a day to dry …

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… and my neighbors are speaking to me once again.

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And thanks to my handy-dandy Silhouette machine, I was able to cut out new house numbers to replace those awful reflective ones.

Since I’m not thrilled about showing my address on the ‘ol blog, so I’ll show you the photoshopped version using the same Porcelain font and ivory vinyl that I did use.

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Ah, dignity …

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… how I’ve missed you.

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*Swoon*

The paint, primer and vinyl were all zero out-of-pocket supplies for me since I had them on hand, but the cost from the store is dirt cheap:

Walmart cheapy spray paint primer – $0.99

Walmart cheapy high gloss spray paint – $0.99

Scrap vinyl or contact paper – $1.00

So whether you’re rockin’ what ya got for paint or buying this from scratch, $0-$3 bucks for a total curb-side face lift ain’t bad at all.

See?

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Enjoy your weekend and go show that mailbox some love!

Linking up to:

Skip To My LouCraft-O-ManiacC.R.A.F.T., The DIY ShowOff *  Stories of AtoZ, Tip JunkieSugar BeeToday’s Creative BlogSassy SitesMy Uncommon Slice of Suburbia * Someday CraftsLil LunaWe Are That FamilyBlue Cricket DesignsThe Thrifty Home, * House of Hepworths, *Remodelaholic FridayTidy MomWhipperberryKojo DesignsChic On A Shoestring, Momma’s Kinda Crafty, *Tatertots & Jello,  Be Different Act NormalFunky Junk Interiors * I Heart NaptimeUnder The Table and Dreaming

Happy Monday everyone! I’m so excited to be blogging from my hometown in Washington following a 13 hour drive Saturday with our Dirty Half Dozen.

And thanks to a little planning, the trip was actually … awesome.  The kids did great, we made good time and even managed to save enough money on travel snacks to be able to afford gas for the trip home–ha!

So this week I’ll be sharing some THRIVE friendly tips for surviving those summer road trips without breaking the bank or loosing your mind.  And as always, you should be able to pull together these easy snack ideas without a run to the store

Today’s feature: 3 easy snacks for the road or camp ground.

1) Empty peanut butter jar + celery sticks

celery sicks

Finally a way to have p.b. and celery without the mess. Fill an empty jar with an inch or two of peanut butter and then fill with celery sticks. Kids get a yummy snack without sticky fingers and the car stays free of kid schmeer.

2) Empty sour cream container + empty baby food jar

Carrot Road Trip Snacks

A quick way to pull off carrots and dressing without the dragging the jar along or buying those expensive to-go dressing singles.

3) Empty 32 oz. yogurt container + single serving yoplait

Easy peasy fruit slices and dip. So yummy straight from the cooler at a camp site or rest stop.

Delish.

Apple

So there you go–easy straight-from-the-recycling-bin solutions for eating well on the road.

I’ll be back on Wednesday with some great ideas for keeping the kids entertained.

~ Nike

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Summer Road Trip Car Snacks