Welcome to the Jungle...Gym

Brian and I had talked about adding a playset in our backyard at some point.  We have a big enough yard to include one and we know we'd get a ton of use out of it.  So this year we bit the bullet and decided to add one.  We looked around a few different places and brands and decided on a nice, sturdy, two story playset from Costco.  The price was right and so were all the bells and whistles.

On Friday, our playset was delivered and Kate, Maya, and I had the pleasure of watching it being unloaded!

Lots-a-boxes!

Lots-a-finagling!

Lots-a-smiles!

We had some beautiful weather, like, AMAZING, so of course we busted out our bathing suits and our sprinkler.

I feel like this is the quintessential childhood picture.

And I just adore Kate's bathing suit!

After much deliberation on whether or not Brian and Tom should tackle putting the playset together, it was ultimately decided that this project, while definitely within reach of skill set, was not one that either Brian or Tom wanted to be working on all weekend.  So we hired some guys from an outdoor rec business to help us put it together.

With the unseasonably warm weather forecasted for the weekend, it was the perfect time to get started on our newest home addition!

Backyard: BEFORE!

While the guys got started, Kate got ready for soccer:
complete with a dress, a necklace, a bracelet, and
nearly ten sparkly hair clips.

It's like a massive puzzle.

A massive, 3-D puzzle, that is.

Kate was the best helper.

Most adorable too!

She also put her cup of water along side of the rest of the team's.
I thought it was the cutest thing ever.

Maya wants a cup of water too and knows exactly where to get
FOUR of them.

Progress!

Meanwhile, the girls and I played with some beans
and those cute little curled toes absolutely stole my
heart.

Nearly swinging!

At the end of the first day, the team was nearly complete.  Just the
twirly slide and a few nuts and bolts and we were going to be all set.

It took the guys we hired about a day and a half to put this together and they were working hard and non-stop for the entire time.  It was hot outside and Brian and Tom both agreed that their help was one of the best decisions ever!

On Sunday, we had Tom and Mary over for dinner to help us enjoy our brand new playset which was completely put together!

Early birds, ready to get this show on the road!

The twirly slide is a huge hit!

Maya's not so sure just yet...

Were you wondering if Kate is sure?!

Yep.  She is!

Backyard: AFTER!  Complete.

Wait.  NOW it's officially complete.  Kate and Jack running to
the playset is the cutest thing ever.

Welcome to our Jungle!

Office Space

The day after Thanksgiving we began our newest home renovation project - turning our "nook" into our home office space.  We have three bedrooms in our house and when we first moved in in 2010 our office was in the front bedroom.

When we found out we were expecting our first baby, we decided to put the nursery in the spare room, move the spare room to the office, and renovate our three season room into a four season room and make that our new office.  Brian was working from home during all these transitions so he definitely needed a spot to call his own.

Then, Brian got a new job.  Outside of the house.  In another building.  In downtown Columbus.  So then we had a whole renovated office space that didn't get much use.  So we decided to make it Kate's play room.  Even though Brian didn't need an official "office" anymore, we still wanted a spot where we could put our desktop computer and house some of our office things...

So we embarked on transforming our little kitchen nook.  This little nook has always been a favorite part of our kitchen.  It's cute and quaint, but up until now it hasn't been the most useful use of space in our house.

Nov. 2010 - Moving day - Our nook!

We have a table and chairs opposite of the nook where we do the majority of our dining.  We also have a breakfast bar.  The high top table and chairs that has lived in this nook since we moved in was hardly ever used.  And by "hardly ever" I mean it was used daily to pile stuff on but only really "used" once a year when we turned it horizontally and set up alcoholic drinks on it for our Christmas party.

The high top table and chairs in the nook.

The Christmas party usage.  I don't even think we turned it
horizontally last year...we just put a bunch of alcohol on it and...
...they came.

We debated on what to do in this area until Brian found a perfect solution on Houzz and the dimensions were nearly identical to ours.  We looked into several different contractors to assist us with this space and ultimately decided on a wonderful Amish company per a recommendation.  Jerald came to our house, measured the area, saw what we wanted, built everything at his shop, brought it all back to our house, and then came and installed it.  It was fascinating!

He was so friendly and Kate and I made cookies and played Christmas music while he installed our new office space.  We are so in love with our new nook!

Before - our cozy, quaint little nook, minus the
table and chairs!

Before - with the nook light on!

Let the demo begin!  Bye-bye, shelves!

Kate and I build towers while the demo happened.

And then we knocked them down!

Removing the baseboard!

Just the perfect amount was removed for our space.

Meanwhile, it was snack time under the breakfast
bar area!

First cabinet was hung!

And the second was placed!  Jerald works magic!

Kate and I started on our cookies.

She peeled and sampled.  I took the trash.

Both cabinets hung perfectly!

Then it was time for the desktop!

We waited and watched and played while the
desktop was installed and our cookies baked!

Before we knew it, the bottom cabinets were
getting installed!

And the house was filled with baked cookie aroma!
YUM!

Look at that transformation!  All in one day!

Kate and I took selfies with her monsters!

And then tested the waters with our new cabinets!

Surely we made this area for her to play with/in.

Yes, she has already taken it over.

An efficient use of space, huh?!

Several trips later...

...and it's just like home for her babies!

Brian painted the magnetic/chalk board paint on
the walls a few days later.

And we are so happy with how it turned out!

AFTER: our new nook/office space!  Including
a brand new light and chair!
Perfection, right!?

We are so happy with this new space!  It completes our kitchen wonderfully and makes an otherwise hardly used space into a space that is used at least once a day!  We are working with what we've got here, folks, and we are so excited about this newest addition!