DIY

Rear Window

Behind our house is a bunch of other houses. This is not a surprise! We’re in one of the “new build” areas in Port Stanley. We’re not here for a big lot and we don’t care much about the immediate view; the beach is a 10 minute walk away. Being a short distance from it is better when one no longer parties heartily. And we were spared the terrible flooding the village experienced last week.

trimmed garden in the background with a tiny pair of scissors in the foreground

Spring Bliss

Like bears coming out of hibernation, we spent our first day outside on Saturday in sunshine and 18-degree warmth. Other than writing a quick magazine article, and recording a couple of lines for an eLearning client in California, the weekend was mine.

Drawing it Out

The floor in our lower-level bathroom was due for a scrubbing. We believe the grout was white when the tile was installed, but over the years it took on an uncertain shade of gray/tan. Because it’s a small room, I decided to take it on myself. Good times! 

closeup of the distressed, white boards in the headboard

The Head of the Bed

We had one expectation for this long weekend: free time.  It included some friend time, some “we” time, and some time to do a few little things around the house. I had hoped to put wood protector on the deck but it was too hot out. (Yay!) Derek finished a project that – let’s face it – was more important to me than it was to him.  …

The Weekend, The Book and Other Things

Saturday was hotter in London, Ontario than it was in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  Dubai, that over-populated, but-it’s-a-dry-heat, desert playground, where 40C+ is the norm. Where millions of people hustle through the world’s tenth-busiest airport on their way to spend their wealth at luxury stores while the sun beats down with a relentless burn. No wonder we didn’t want to go outside. …

stacks of packed boxes by Ari via Flickr

A New Method for Decluttering

Forget the KonMari method – deciding to keep only the items that bring you joy. Don’t buy a bunch of baskets and sort your stuff. That only helps the basket-makers and doesn’t do enough to reduce the amount of stuff you keep. No, I’ve developed a new way of looking at your stuff that will make you want to get rid of anything you don’t really need.  …