Our Garden Currently: Winter cleanup

Our garden right now is looking quite sad.  I wish I could say that we have the most amazing winter garden going on and that we have cold-weather crops in full display, but that just isn't the case.  Although, we do have plans on cleaning it up and moving things around.  It has even made the Mr. and my resolutions list on things to do.  

The most important thing is to imagine a space that we would be happy with when we harvest each year.  We sat down one night and came up with a solution to the over-crowding in our raised beds.

  

Of course, this is just a rough outline, things may change.  We want to have some sort of walkway through the garden and we feel the beans/peas, or both may give us the coverage over the walkway that we are looking for.  I was thinking that morning glory would be a good one too, but we'll see.

I'm in love with the front entry of this house. I'm not sure where the photo came from or who it belongs to, but I just love it. Living in a city it would be a great way to break your property from the city streets. And the balcony.....*swoon*

  

(Source for both photos)

I've recently been finding an interest in roses.  I have been following a few pin boards on rose planting, pruning, and cutting, but I still couldn't figure out a good way to grow them where we live.  If you know anything about Oregon, you know that Portland is the Rose City, so roses grow fantastic here.  Finally, I came across an idea.  The pictures above are from the Lady Carnarvon's blog.  Who is Lady Carnarvon, you might ask?  She is the current countess at Highclere Castle.  What is Highclere Castle?  Well, if you're asking that, then you are really missing out on a lot of great history.  Highclere Castle is Downton Abbey.  Or should I say, Downton Abbey is Highclere Castle.  Well, I digress.  The roses pictured above are from the gardens of Highclere and I love how they are shown here.  The one on the left is a great way to grow them and I am having the Mr. currently design me something similar for when we move into our own home.  The picture on the right is a great way to grow the roses while we live in the city.  Although, we don't own the property here, I don't want to plant anything directly into the earth and not be able to take it when we leave.  I hope my roses look just as lovely as Lady Carnarvon's do.

We also want to do something similar to the trees in front of the house.  Mowing in a tiny circle is getting annoying, so we feel this would be a great solution and be more appealing.  We have a lot of bricks when the neighbor had us help tear out the old fireplace in his house. We may do something similar, or just stick to bark mulch. We'll see. 

Hopefully the spring cleanup will go well and we can have everything simplified and pretty. I'll post soon!

What happened this time last year?

Five simple things

1.  This Oven/This Shower Curtain and Rod.

It's official!  We finally got ourselves a new oven and I am more than tickled with the one we got.  It's a Whirlpool Oven with an electric range (where we live doesn't have a gas option, unfortunately).  I personally prefer gas ranges, myself.  Mainly for these reasons: 1.  I grew up in the country and when the power goes out, guess what, your oven is out.  With gas, even if your power goes, you can still cook something.  Where we lived in Arkansas the power was out at least twice a week.  We had a gas range then and were always able to cook dinner still.  We had a baby too, so it was nice.  2.  Gas ranges seem to cook food more evenly.  It's just a personal preference thing really, and has nothing to do with anyone's cooking.  I prefer cooking on gas, but electric has taken some time getting used to while where we live now.  But all of that aside, this oven is great!  I can't wait to break it in with a new batch of scones/cookies/breads/chicken dishes.  I will have the inside in need of a clean soon-and it's a self-cleaning oven!  *Squee* (Cleaning a non-self cleaning oven)

We were definitely in need of an upgrade.  Our old oven was a Whirlpool too, but with the new one I am glad to be done with the coiled heating elements.

And the shower curtain.........

  

FINALLY we are on the right track with upgrades in the Hiatt House.  Most of these things will be left behind when we move, but while we are here, might as well make it amazing.  Right?  We finally made the shift from a straight curtain rod to a curved one.  We have such a small bathroom that it gives the illusion of a bigger shower.  The Mr. loved it-more room to shave.  And that shower curtain....I just can't get enough of it.  The Mr. was in Search and Rescue for many years, so he loved it.  It's from Izola and in the pattern of Scout.  I got this one through Birchbox and used some points to get a discount.  You can get it here.  (If you're curious, this is the curtain rod)

If you can see the older rod here.

2.  This Examiner Article by me.

A few tips on reducing your carbon footprint on the planet.  No matter who you are, you can't help but leave some sort of print on the earth while you're here and even when you're gone, but you can reduce that print in more ways than you might think.  You can check out the article here.

3.  This Geocache.

It has been one of my favorites so far.  We are loving Geocaching, but since we were already treasure hunters, it's no wonder.  Can you see this Geocache?  It's right before your eyes....hint hint.  If you're into Geocaching check out our new Willamette Valley Geocachers page on Facebook.

4.  This Oregon Signs.

  

When we stayed in Sunriver toward the end of summer in 2013, we loved the house we were in so much.  It was almost like a cabin in the woods and deer came right up to the front porch.  I couldn't get enough of Sunriver too. The entire area is flanked with forest and the homes blend into the scenery.  We were really bummed to leave and have looked into trips there again.  These Oregon signs hung throughout the home and I just loved how they highlighted the best places in Oregon.  If you are looking for a trip idea, check out Sunriver.  It's definitely one of Oregon's greatest highlights.

5.  This Influenster Vox Box.

If you've noticed the little blue Influenster tag on the right-hand side of my page (at the bottom of the sidebar) then you have known I've been part of Influenster for awhile now.  Well, last month I was one of the few that got chosen to be part of the Slimfast #Itsyourthing Campaign.  I received some snacks, a shake, and some promo flyers on the new Slimfast shakes and 100 calorie snacks.  I was a worried that the snacks and the shakes would taste bland, but I was pleasantly surprised.  The ones in the picture above are my favorite grab-and-go snack of choice.  They taste amazing!  They are the perfect light snack to grab when I am craving something sweet and with only 100 calories, it's totally a cheat meal.  You can join Influenster here, and take advantage of the Slimfast #Itsyourthingcampaign here.

Extras:

• This Cleansing Moment.

I've been clearing the negative out of our space since the first of the year by burning white sage.  It's such a nice, woodsy scent and I feel that the space is a bit more clear after a burn.

• Save money, Simplify your life, and Save the Planet.
• Walmart getting more environmentally friendly?  ...Or have they?
• What is your city's walking score?
• Where the sidewalk begins.
• More on the Makers' Movement.
• Make your own tooth powder.
• Baked Sweet Potato Chips.
• Some Broadway plays coming to Portland.
• Wholesome wear?
• Looking for a writing job?

What happened this time last year?

Friday things

It's another week of January coming to an end.  The Mr. and I have been on a sleep-catch up mode for the last week or so.  It seems we just can't get enough sleep.  We are thinking it may be time to invest in a mattress topper.  We have been looking at the memory-foam toppers, but can't seem to settle on the exact one that peeks our fancy.  Update on that once we finally commit.  So here are the things that made this week amazing!

1.  This Patient Waiter.

The boys went with Bazels to the park to play with the helicopters they received for Christmas.  Poor PITA was patiently waiting for their return.  The Mr. got his helicopter from The Bean and me and The Bean received his from cousins. Although the Mr.'s is one that is fitted with a lot more gadgets, The Bean can get a feel for the one he got before buying him a more expensive model.  Baz has had a bit of arthritis in his hips-he turned 15 in 2015-so he needed the exercise more than PITA.

2.  This Jewelry.

I am loving my Yogi Surprise Jewelry Box!  It comes at the same time as my Yogi Surprise Lifestyle Box and it's the best subscription box I've had yet.  I get excited like a little kid every time it's on my doorstep.  If you don't get this box, you can try a month here.

3. Honest Valentine's Day Diaper Print

How fun are these?  The Honest Company is always coming up with such fun things.  Now you can dress your baby out in their Valentine's Day Diaper Print.  Makes me want to stock up on them (just in case).

4.  Google's Image for Martin Luther King Day.

I really like how Google recognizes certain people in their image main page.  This past Monday was Martin Luther King day.  The Bean (Skylar-Braden) and I did a few things to honor the day.  We will have those updates soon on the classroom blog.

5.  This Sharpshooter.

    

My brother and sister-in-law got the Bean a Union Berdan Sharpshooters jacket and pants to match his hat he already had. (They got him the hat a few years ago).  He has worn it a lot lately.  It's been so cold here, so it's the perfect jacket to keep him warm, plus he just likes it.  Now to get him some period boots and the rest of the uniform to make him a real Union Sharpshooter. (Photo on the right:  Source)

The Bean also got a haircut and was looking quite fly afterward.  He was glad to get some of the hair out of his face, but he was bummed that the guy cut so much off the top.  I told him that the best thing about hair is, it grows back in no time.  Hopefully in a month the length will be where he wants it.  

  

There was a lot of hair on the floor when the barber finished-Look at all that hair!  It was kind of sad to see the long hair go; He's had it for so long.  The picture below is of the place we take him to get haircuts.  The Mr. has been getting his hair cut there since he was a kid.  It was the same place The Bean got his first hair cut and it's such a nostalgic place for us.

Extras:

• Trying to be more frugal?  
• Some GOOP.
• Is your New Year's resolution to stop smoking?
• Original Blogger Jorn Barger.
• Trying harder to have a zero waste home.
• The Makers' Movement.
• I'm on Twitter a lot.  Do you follow?
• What type are you?
• Tell 'em all a hookah smoking caterpillar has given you the call.
• Amazing Minimal Living.

What happened this time last year?

A year of Birchbox (Man Box)-Review #birchboxbrag

For all of 2015, the Mr. and I subscribed to Birchbox.  We had some good months with samples and the Mr. loved the products that came with each one.  Overall, we had a great experience with them and decided not to continue into 2016 because we are all set with samples for awhile. I think we hae so many we are actually set with samples until 2017.  There were so man great items that came in each box, some samples we used up right away, but others are tucked into glass jars in our bathroom.  We will be using them slowly throughout 2016.  This is a review of the Man's Box through Birchbox and what samples and products came with each month for 2015.  The Man Box is $20 each month and you can sign up here.

Men's box for January 2015:

The theme for January 2015 was:  "Let's do this thing."

Birchbox wanted to help the man get a jump start of good habits for the New Year.  They posted a new trick or challenge to their Instagram for the 31 days in January.

• Day One:  Try something new with your personal style.
• Day Two:  Embrace the morning.
• Day Three:  Run faster.
• Day Four:  New year, new grooming habits.
• Day Five:  Workout...at work!
• Day Six:  Take command of your space.
• Day Seven:  Jump rope like a pro. 
• Day Eight:  Step confidently into the slush puddle. 
• Day Nine:  Cut your sugar intake in half.
• Day 10:  Try a brand new hairstyle.
• Day 11:  Start (or build) your suit collection. 
• Day 12:  Snack smarter.
• Day 13:  Get smart about stain removal.
• Day 14:  Find your signature scent. 
• Day 15:  Learn to apply your daily face moisturizer the right way. 
• Day 16:  Make laundry less of a hassle.
• Day 17:  Organize your closet.
• Day 18:  Upgrade your gym clothes.
• Day 19:  Split wood like a lumberjack.
• Day 20:  Don't hack your face.
• Day 21:  Try a standing desk. 
• Day 22:  Learn how to trim your own hair.
• Day 23:  Stock your desk drawer and keep it organized.
• Day 24:  Nail your skincare routine.
• Day 25:  Drink a lot... a lot of water, that is. 
• Day 26:  Take a nap, and get the most out of your R&R.
• Day 27:  Pack your lunch, and pack it right.
• Day 28:  Make a cocktail...with your hair product. 
• Day 29:  Make a green smoothie fit for a lumberjack. 
• Day 30:  Get the wrinkles out of your clothes.
• Day 31:  Grow a beard—finally. 

The samples:

1.  Billy Jealousy:  Hydroplane Super Slick Shave Cream

2.  CLEAN:  Classic Eau de Toilette for Men

3.  Mt. Sapola:  Charcoal Bar Soap (not pictured)

4.  Nourish Snachs:  Mr. Popular Snack (not pictured)

5.  Men In Cities:  Wool Blend Touch Screen Gloves

#birchboxbrag

Favorite item:  

Men In Cities:  Wool Blend Touch Screen Gloves

Men's box for February 2015:

Theme for February was "Optimized."

-Steeper bills.

-Bury Fear.

-High Stakes.

-More Efficient.

The samples:

1.  Ernest Supplies:  Protective Matte Moisturizer

2.  Grooming Lounge:  The Best Shampoo

3.  Heroes & Aristocrats by Royal Apothic:  Ultra-Shave Cream Gel

Quirky:  Carabandits

Quirky:  Cordies

Favorite item:  

Quirky Carabandits and Quirky Cordies

Men's box for March 2015:

Theme for March was:  "Boldly Go."

The samples:

1.  (MALIN + GOETZ):  Lime Bar Soap

2.  Billy Jealousy:  LiquidSand Exfoliating Facial Cleanser

3.  English Laundry:  Royal Aqua

4.  Izola:  Pocket Knife

Favorite Item:

Izola:  Poket Knife

Men's box for April 2015:

Theme for April was:  "MADMEN."

The samples:

1.  Billy Jealousy:  Illicit Pearlized Body Wash

2.  das boom:  Everywhere Lotion Detroit

3.  Jack Black:  Supreme Cream Triple Cushion Shave Lotion (not pictured)

4.  Happy Socks:  Men's Socks

Favorite item:

Happy Socks:  Men's Socks

Men's box for May 2015:

Theme for May was:  "Comeback Story."

Comeback from a slump and get back in the groove for the year.

The samples:

1.  Cotz:  Face Natural Skin Tone SPF 40

2.  Montale:  Woods and Spices

3.  Montez Renault:  Moisturizing Body Lotion

4.  Skinny Tie Madness:  Edward 40 Hands

Favorite item:

Cotz:  Face Natural Skin Tone SPF 40

Men's box for June 2015:

Theme for June was:  "Write your own Adventure."

Where to next?  

The samples:

1.  Atelier Cologne:  Cedrat Enivrant Cologne Absolue

2.  Davines:  MOMO Shampoo

3.  PLANT:  Get It On Body Wash

4.  Carry On Cocktail Kit:  The Old Fashioned

Favorite item:

Carry On Cocktail Kit:  The Old Fashioned

Men's box for July 2015:

Theme for July was:  "Summer Epic."

Lounging in the afternoon shade and soaking up the perks of summer.

The samples:

1.  Billy Jealousy:  Triple Crown 3-in-1 Body Wash

2.  Das Boom:  Everywhere Lotion Kyoto

3.  Supergoop!:  City Sunscreen Serum SPF 30

4.  Profound Aesthetic:  Genuine Leather Raw Journal:  Pocket Size

Favorite item:

Das Boom:  Everywhere Lotion Kyoto

Such a great group of samples already up to July.....

Men's box for August 2015:

Theme for August was:  "Brave New Worlds."

Virtual reality viewer from River helps you escape to a new world.

The samples:

1.  Birchbox Man + River:  Virtual Reality Viewer

2.  Coalatree:  Nomad Backpack

3.  CoSTUME NATIONAL:  Eau de Parfume SCENT INTENSE

4.  Das Boom:  Everything Wash Denali

5.  Game Day:  Shave Cream

6.  Supergoop!:  Forever Young Hand Cream with SPF 40

Favorite item:

Coalatree:  Nomad Backpack  

Men's box for September 2015:

Theme for September was:  "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."

Channel the retro cool of the film with slick pomades, classic scents, and a spy-worthy multitool.

The samples:

1.  CW BEGGS AND SONS:  Face Wash

2.  das boom Industries:  Body Brick West Indies

3.  Lab Series:  Max LS Age-Less Power V Lifting Cream (not pictured)

4.  AM Lab:  Mist

5.  AM Lab:  Wipes

6.  Escentric Molecules:  Escentric

7.  AM:  Lab Minis

Favorite item:

AM Lab Mist and AM Lab Wipes

Men's box for October 2015:

Theme for October was:  "Peak Performance."

Samples to have you fired up on all cylinders.

The samples:

1.  Clinique for Men:  Face Scrub

2.  Ursa Major:  4-in-1 Essential Face Tonic

3.  CW BEGGS AND SONS:  Shower, Shampoo and Shave

4.  Helmut Lang:  Cuiron

5.  Coalatree:  Nomad Backpack

Favorite item:

Coalatree:  Nomad Backpack was a favorite in August too!

Men's box for November 2015:

Theme for November was:  "I Stand For:  "

What do you stand for?  Reflection and gratitude.

The samples:

1.  (MALIN+GOETZ):  grapefruit face cleanser

2.  (MALIN+GOETZ):  vitamin e face moisturizer

3.  Clinique for Men:  Oil Control Face Wash

4.  das boom Industries:  Everywhere Lotion West Indies

5.  Cartier:  Pasha Edition Noire Eau de Toilette spray

6.  Upstate Stock:  Fingerless Gloves

Favorite item:

das boom Industries:  Everywhere Lotion West Indies

Men's box for December 2015:

Theme for December was:  "Home & Hearth."

Keep one foot in the past and one in the present with this roster of updated classics.

The samples:

1.  CW BEGGS AND SONS:  Moisturizing Lotion (After Shave + Face Care)

2.  Brickell Men’s Products:  No Shine Lip Balm

3.  Etat Libre d'Orange:  Cologne 

4.  Topo Designs:  Watch Cap

5.  AYRES:  Body Butter

Also came with a card for $10 off a $35 order from the Birchbox shop.

Favorite item:

Topo Designs:  Watch Cap

Birchbox Man is a great way for men to change up their routine and experience new products.  The Mr. loved the items that accompanied the boxes and the face wash and creams were always a big hit with him.  You can experience Birchbox Man now here and your boxes are always $20 for as long as you keep your subscription going.

What happened this time last year?