Happy first Friday of spring! Hope you’ve had a great week!… or a great few weeks, rather, since it’s been a little while since I’ve managed to put one of these little updates together. Anyway, grab a cup of something warm and comforting and let’s get caught up. 🙂
We spent a few days over March Break in Point Pelee National Park and it was just the little reset we needed. Thankfully we were just there for a few days mid-week because we fell a bit under the weather as soon as we got home. We’ve been so busy lately and it’s a sure sign that a break was needed when you find yourself catching something as soon as you slow down. Kind of like how kids always seem to get sick for a few days as soon as school is over in the summer. Anyway, even though the park is only an hour from our home, we’d never been there at this time of year and it was just as beautiful and awe-inspiring as every has been telling us. You can read more about our trip in the post I put together about it here if you missed it.
We’ve been trying to do more Friday night family dinners out and they’re just my favorite thing. If you have younger kids, this is something to look forward to about them growing older. Sitting in a restaurant becomes an enjoyable and relaxing outing where everyone can just relax and chat instead of something to survive like it sometimes can be when you have very little kids. Since our days as a full-time family of four living under the same roof are numbered, we really appreciate these times together because I know they’ll soon be a lot harder to come by.
Things are starting to come to life around the property a little more quickly now and I just have to laugh. I’ve been extra aware this year of the differences between how we here in Canada experience spring and how people in more southern areas experience the same season. It’s not the same season at all. It’s a totally different thing. Ha. I’ve been seeing posts on social media showing trees in full bloom for about a month now with captions like “A sign that spring is on the way!” and I just giggle to myself because I’m just thinking “My friend, that’s spring in full swing. Spring has arrived for you. Stop rubbing it in everyone’s faces.” 🙂 Here, we consider spring to be here the moment we start to see the smallest amount of displaced soil from the first tulips pushing up and we cherish it. We cherish it, I tell you. It’s cold, it’s windy, but there’s hope that new life has begun. Anyway, very much congratulating myself on getting a few more tulips and alliums planted last fall because they are just bringing me so much joy right now as I walk around the property and see a new one popping up every day. Warmer days are on the way!
I’m always trying to move towards a more sustainable wardrobe, but hear me out – this can be fun thing! I had an extra boost of motivation lately after reading an article from the financial times, which really stuck with me. Basically, it said that to reach sustainability, we should aim to buy no more than nine new items of clothing in a year (five in some countries), and to extend the life of our garments to an average of 8 years and 9 months. This counts for new items, not thrifted, keep in mind. Of course, this urges us to rethink how we’re shopping, but I think this can be a good thing, and a more enjoyable way of buying clothing. There’s nothing worse than buying some cheap fast fashion piece that you think is a great deal in the moment, only to wear it once and find that it doesn’t fit quite right, or looks a little off. So it sits there in your closet, taunting you with feelings of guilt and frustration, before you finally throw it in the “donate” bin or just toss it in the trash because it’s not worth saving for anyone else. We absolutely have to buy less and buy better, which I love. This is your permission to buy the good stuff. I have not stopped shopping, but I’ve been buying only things that I know will last and that I think I’ll be able to use for the next 10 years, and that’s naturally resulted in me feeling the need to shop less often. Just having the mindset of shopping for the next 10 years has resulted in some very satisfying shopping experiences and has ended in me feeling like I actually have something to wear after all. Buy less, buy better, actually have something to wear. Everyone wins. Anyway, just thought it was something interesting to think about. 🙂
I think I’m going to start adding in my few little upgrades into the dining room this weekend. Speaking of sustainable choices, I’m going to start by repainting my little dresser that I have in the corner of the room. I’ve thought about replacing this piece with something more substantial many times; I bought it for $20 at a thrift store about 18 years ago and it was never meant to be a permanent fixture in our home, but the proportions on it are just perfect. I love it and I can’t let it go. So rather than replace it with something new, I’m just repainting it yet again, in the same Benjamin Moore Onyx black that I’ve been using so often lately and moving on with my plans. Once I’ve done that and touched up the paint on the walls around the room where it’s needed, I’ll let myself start ordering a few of the fun new pieces I have in mind like the lamp I mentioned a few weeks ago, the new Ruggable (I think I’ve almost settled on this one) and the new chandelier. You know I love little projects like this that allow me to fine-tune a room and just make little tweaks and changes here and there to bring my vision into clearer view, so I’m looking forward to this refresh.
NEWS AND FINDS
-Spring has officially sprung! It doesn’t necessarily feel like it most of the time where we are, but that’s just a minor detail. Warm days on the porch will be here soon. 🙂 Here are some favorite past spring time posts to help get you inspired for the new season:
- The Tulip Vodka Trick
- Farmhouse Style Tulip Wreath
- How to Force Forsythia Branches
- DIY Easter Jelly Bean Branches
- DIY Spring Blossom Branches
- What to Clean in April
-I was hoping to find the classic white sneaker to end all classic white sneakers (a 10 year white sneaker, if that’s even possible) and I finally decided on the ever-popular Stan Smith sneakers after looking at a zillion different photos and reading all the reviews, except in a white-on-white colorway instead of the traditional white with green trim. Yup, they’re just perfect. 🙂
-I’m contemplating taking the plunge and ordering myself a Le Creuset for my birthday coming up next month. With the amount of time I spend trying to find an excuse to be in the kitchen, I think it will definitely get a lot of use. It’s something I’ve always intended to add to my collection eventually, but I had a hard time deciding on a color and of course it’s not something I just want to sit there looking pretty. I like to actually cook with my cookware, as much as possible. 🙂 I’ll keep you posted! Any advice or encouragement you have to offer is appreciated!
-Pinterest comment of the week: “This is VERY GOOD. I added a tablespoon of tomato powder. (I dried some of my garden tomatoes in my dehydrator then made into powder)Love it. Makes a lot.” – Doreen on a pin from my Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe. I still use this seasoning at least a few times a month. Get the recipe here!
MORE RECENT POSTS
- Two Days in Point Pelee National Park
- 10 Easy Plant-Based Dishes to Serve at Easter
- 5 Things to Know Before you Buy a Ruggable
- My Basic Guide to Plant-Based Baking
- Favorite Inexpensive Decorating Tricks
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Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.