Outdoor Living for Small Yards

 

The Urban Gazette features guest authors on a monthly basis with topics covering health, family life, DIY projects, and travel. We are very happy to have Ashley writing for June about her and her husband's outdoor DIY. Ashley and Bryan live in beautiful Colorado and enjoy all that the state has to offer in outdoor living. Thank you Ashley for sharing such a creative solution. We LOVE it!

In August of 2013, we began our house hunt. Due to the increase in rent prices, apartment living was no longer a viable option for us. After several months of searching, we found a townhome with a little yard. There was a patio and even though it looked small, we thought we could make it work. Since we bought in the winter, we were excited for the summer when we could sit out in our back yard!

Last spring we completely redid the back yard. We replaced the dead grass and put down new stone. It looked great! By the summer, we realized that the patio was too small for us to sit out there and enjoy our new yard. We couldn't grill food comfortably, we had to be careful not to hit our heads on the kitchen window overhang, and our knees were bumping the table.

We thought about purchasing new patio furniture, but we really liked ours. Since we also wanted to put a smoker out back for my husband's game meat, we decided that it was time for us to somehow expand our patio. We started putting some money aside even though we weren’t sure what our plan was.

  

We talked to my dad (who has been in construction for longer than he'd like me to admit) about options. We didn't want to pour concrete since that is a permanent solution and we didn't want any future homeowners to be deprived of the option to landscape. Another option was to build a wood patio, but we thought that would be too much of a hassle since we would have to get HOA approval plus permits. My dad said he'd help us build it, but that process did not sound fun. At this point, we didn't know what to do, so we put the idea on the back burner.

One night, we were at my father-in-law's house and we saw what he had done around the fire pit in his backyard. He had cleared the grass and plants and made a small square "patio" out of large paver stones. We asked him how he made that, and his instructions sounded easy. We loved the idea and thought we could modify it for our back yard. It would be easy to install, the cheapest out of the options we considered, and it would be easy to pull up should any future homeowners want to. We sought HOA approval, received it, and we were ready to begin.

  

The first step was for us to clear and level the new patio area. Bryan pulled up the grass and then he used a shovel and a hoe to flatten the ground and create a slight slope away from the house to allow for water runoff. We allowed the ground to sit for a couple days so that it would settle and create a hard, compact base for our new patio.

  

After that, we went to Lowe's and found our supplies. Links and descriptions of the items we used are listed below. Our first items were paver restraints and spikes to create a clean boundary between our new patio and the rest of our yard/fence. After that, we bought enough sand to create a 2" base. If you look on the back of the sand, it will tell you how many cubic inches/feet are in a bag. The amount of sand you lay will depend on how thick your paver stones are and how much leveling you need to accomplish with the sand. We needed approximately four bags.

Next, we looked at paver stones. We decided to go with a slightly more expensive paver stone since we had a small area and wouldn't need much. To create an interesting pattern, we decided to mix 12x12 and 12x18 inch paver stones. The last item we bought was polymeric sand to seal the pavers and set them.

  

Once we got home with our supplies, we laid the paver restraints around the cleared area and fastened them to the ground with the spikes. Next, we laid the stone in sections. Bryan poured the paver sand in about a quarter of our area and I handed him the stones to lay. He put them down one-by-one, wiggling them down into the sand to ensure they were level with each other. We were lucky in that we didn't have to cut any stones to make the pattern work, but if you do, you can ask a sales associate at your local home improvement store to show you a circular saw blade that will cut pavers. If you don't have a circular saw, you can probably rent one there as well.

Once we had all the stones laid, we poured the polymeric sand over the entire surface, swept it into all the joints, checked that the entire area was level, swept off the remaining polymeric sand, and then used our hose to soak the polymeric sand. The polymeric sand has a binding agent that activates when wet. As the sand dries, it hardens and locks the pavers together. After you soak the polymeric sand, you have to let it sit for a specific time period. Ours was for 24 hours. We waited until the next day, moved our patio furniture onto our new patio area, hung up little lantern lights on our fence, and enjoyed our new space.

In all, this project only took a morning of prep and a morning of laying everything. It was fairly quick and easy. The hardest part was just carrying the rock from the car to our yard. The best part was that, all-in-all, it only cost about $350 (with tax)!

I wish that I had pictures from when we were laying the stone, but I was too busy carrying the sand and pavers to Bryan to lay. We are really happy with the end results and we hope that someone else can use this to expand their small patio area.

  

Items Used:

1. 72" Paver Restraints 
2. Plastic Paver Spikes   
3. Paver Sand   
4. 12x12 Paver Stone  
5. 12x18 Paver Stone
6. Polymeric Sand

  

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe was born out of innovation. I was desperate for a cookie, ANY cookies, ME WANT COOKIES!!!! Or so the saying goes... However, I was nearly out of chocolate chips and I didn't have any all purpose flour or white sugar. So, I improvised. They hit the spot for me and then my husband tried them and I couldn't believe how much he loved them! Later I told him they were made with whole wheat flour and he was shocked. He isn't pro healthy substitutes when it comes to cookies. ;)

Not only are these cookies delicious but they also are a bit more satiating as they contain rolled oats. As I am prone to needing a snack at about four every day, one of these is all I need (ok, ok, ok maybe two and some milk :D).

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup softened, nearly melted butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbs milk
• 1/2 cup rolled oats 
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

I am lucky to have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer and therefore am pretty lazy about separating out dry and wet ingredients. I put the flour, baking soda, salt, butter, sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and milk into the mixing bowl and just turned on the machine until everything was blended together. I then added the rolled oats, pecans, and chocolate chips and combined thoroughly. However, if you do not have a mixer, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, and rolled oats in one bowl. Mix the butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and milk in another bowl. Combine the two and then add the pecans and chocolate chips. 

Using a small spoon (teaspoon). Scoop out balls of dough and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes in the oven at 375 degrees. 

You will get between 12-24 cookies depending on how much dough you sample and how big you scoop your cookies. I know, you aren't supposed to consume raw eggs because of salmonella. So, here is your warning, don't eat raw cookie dough. But, for the rest of you rebels, enjoy! ;) 

Modern Parenting: Cloth Diapers

I recently read an article where cloth diapers were described as the new vogue movement in parenting. I think this perfectly describes cloth diapering today. When I first heard of a friend using cloth diapers, I was actually surprised that cloth diapers still existed. I pictured cloth and safety pins (not much of a water barrier). However, when my friend introduced me to the cloth diapers she was using for her family, I was surprised and inspired. While still available, gone are the years of the simple cloth and safety pin system. It has been replaced by an innovative and growing field of designs from bumGenius, Grovia, Econobum, and Thirsties to name but a few. The list of cloth diaper manufacturers is growing and so are the styles available for families.

The sheer volume of selection and variety can be intimidating to a first time parent looking for the right solution for their family. However, the abundance in choices also provide a solution for practically every diapering situation. There are fitted diapers intended to fit your child perfectly within each growth stage. There are diapers that grow with your child (typically fitting children between 8-35 pounds). There are flip systems in which a cloth pad is inserted into a water proof cover (perhaps the most economical solution). There are pocket diapers where the insert is placed in a pocket and removed once in need of cleaning. There are all-in-one diapers that have no inserts or pockets but instead have everything sewn together for the ease of use (perhaps the easiest transition diaper or diaper to have on hand when family babysits). The options available to cloth diaper consumers are seemingly endless. 

After seeing how functional cloth diapering was, I asked my friend for all the information she could give me and I was blessed with a wealth of knowledge from someone who had had much more experience than myself. I was so happy to be getting the inside scoop from someone who I trusted and respected. After having our daughter and cloth diapering for approximately seven months now, I have been able to hit a stride and a system that works for our family. In fact, it has become so second nature that I no longer feel self conscious or the need to explain why we cloth diaper when around other people. I actually forget when around other families that cloth diapering isn't the norm, although I would argue that cloth is making a come back with young, especially urban, families. 

Why do you use cloth?

There are many reasons to use cloth diapers. For our family, the primary reason we chose cloth was because it was so economical. It is estimated that most cloth diapering families save $2,000-$2,500 per child as compared to families who use disposable diapers. The interesting thing about this figure is that it assumes that families will purchase brand new diapers for each child. The reality is that a family could be saving an additional $200-$300 when they keep and reuse their cloth diapers for subsequent children. 

We chose to use disposable diapers with Liesl for her first two months so that we could ease into parenting a bit more slowly. We ended up spending over $100 on diapers before we switched to cloth. Granted, infants use a lot more diapers in the beginning, but when we estimated the costs, my husband determined that our investment would be paid off within the first 6-months of use and possibly even sooner. We ended up switching over to cloth when our daughter was about a month and a half and I have never once looked back and regretted the change. 

At the start, the reason to use cloth was economical, but since switching over, I now have so many other reasons why I love them! Not only are they cheaper in the long run, cloth diapers are so much better for the environment. Not taking into the account the materials that are being used to make the diapers, we are not filling up landfills with thousands of diapers by using cloth. In fact, once our children are finished using these diapers it is very likely that we will be able to pass them on to another family. Additionally, cloth is so much gentler on a baby's skin. Right before switching over, Liesl had such a bad diaper rash she was actually bleeding from the burns. I followed all of our pediatricians instructions about using wet cloths to clean, a blow dryer to dry, and a barrier cream to protect her. However, after 5 days of using cloth diapers her rash disappeared. While we still use a balm to protect her skin we have not had any more issues with a severe bleeding rash. 

What do you use?

We use the bumGenius 4.0 diapers with snaps. These diapers grow with your child and utilize the pocket system thus eliminating the need to buy multiple sizes. The pocket style allows us to modify the type and amount of inserts we use within the cover easily. During the day, the insert works sufficiently to keep baby dry. However, at night, we double the stuffing by using the standard insert as well as the infant insert. Using the double stuffing method has worked so far to keep baby girl dry for the night. As she grows older, we can purchase additional inserts to ensure that she stays dry on all occasions. 

We also use Grovia cloth wipes. We keep a stack by her bed with a container of water that we use to wet the wipe prior to use. Additionally, Grovia makes a Magic Stick which is an excellent way to keep moisture from giving baby girl a rash. The Magic Stick smells wonderful and uses essential oils like Lavender. We like to say that Liesl has the best smelling diapers.

What cleaning process works for you? 

We were given a Diaper Genie Elite as a baby shower gift and it has been wonderful. I love the look of the diaper pale as it is thin and sleek. We initially used it with disposable diapers as it was intended for along with the disposable bags. After switching to cloth diapers, I purchased a Grovia pale liner and was able to figure out a way of using it in the diaper genie. First, I turn the wet bag inside out. Next, I take the old disposable bag dispenser ring and put it in the bag. Then, I draw the strings in tight around the ring and pull the bag thru the middle of the ring. This then fits snugly in the Diaper Genie and can be thrown in the wash with the dirty diapers at the same time. While on the road, we have a small wet bag to contain any stink as well as keep the diapers from leaking into the diaper bag. This wet bag can also be thrown in the wash with the diapers. 

After much trial and error, I have found a cleaning schedule that works for us. On average, we can't go more than 3 days without washing diapers. We have 27 cloth diapers and can wait until the fourth day to wash the diapers in an absolute emergency (but that is really pushing it and risking leaking babies). I typically start a load of laundry right after changing the baby in the morning when she wakes up. I wash the diapers Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in order to leave weekends as free as possible for whatever family adventures we have planned. We have a front loading washer so I do a quick rinse cycle, a wash cycle with a scoop of bumGenius cloth diaper detergent, and then a final rinse cycle. 

After the diapers are washed, I remove the covers and hang them on a drying rack. The covers can be dried in the dryer but they will wear out much faster and leak. We purchased the Frost drying rack from Ikea for $14.99. The nice thing about this rack is that it is metal and durable, folds flat for easy storage, expands to be as large or as small as is needed at the time, and is cheap. I lay the diapers white side out so that when drying outside the sun can bleach away the stains instead of fading the pretty exteriors. The inserts, cloth wipes, and wet bag are thrown into the dryer to be dried. Once everything has dried, I stuff the covers with the inserts and put away for easy use. 

What is your least favorite thing about using cloth?

While Liesl was exclusively nursing we never had to worry about "solids" when cleaning her diapers. Everything got thrown into the washing machine and came out clean. After starting her on solids, we then had to start worrying about the other kind of "solids". Essentially, we have to scoop and flush the poop down the toilet. Luckily, it usually falls right out of the diaper without any help from us. Occasionally we have to use a small bit of toilet paper. Some people buy special sprayer systems but we found that the sprayers just seemed to make a bigger mess in the end. 

What is your favorite thing about using cloth? 

I love how I don't have to buy diapers every month (or every other week). I love how adorable they are on my daughter. I love how I am saving my family so much money. But, I especially love knowing that I am keeping my baby's skin as protected and comfortable as possible. 

So, that is our experience with cloth diapers. It has become a very natural part of our life and we love using them! What is your experience with cloth? What kind do you prefer? Any funny horror stories? 

 

 

 

 

First Photo Shoot

Today I attempted a photo shoot with Baby Girl. I rigged up a sheet and some blankets and arranged her in front of some natural light. Then, with some minor editing and tweaking I got these results. I like them. Let me know what you think!

Reupholstering with Teal

Now that baby girl is maintaining a predictable nap schedule, I have been able to start thinking of new projects to begin. The trick with these projects is picking something that will improve our lives instead of just costing money. ;) Since the day we bought our dining room chairs we have planned to reupholster them. In fact, before we even found the chairs, I had decided the type of fabric and color I wanted to have on them! However, being pregnant and then being a first time mommy did not immediately lend time to the endeavor. 

Thanks to Jo-Anns I finally committed to the project! A 40% off sale on upholstery fabric coupled with a 20% off your entire purchase coupon got me and the hubby to the store to make a decision. The fabric was picked, cut, and bought. 9 yards for about $30! After about two naptimes and one afternoon, our chairs have now been stripped of their initial coverings and reupholstered with gorgeous teal fabric. I am LOVING the result and look!!!!! 

The dining room is almost complete. Anyone have any ideas for more mid mod style artwork? 

What is your reupholstering story? Was your experience good or bad? 

Here is the before picture. The cream/yellow fabric was the last owner's reupholstering job. 

Yuck.

This was the original fabric under one set of chairs. Double YUCK!

And the other original fabric (or rather vinyl) under the second set. Actually, not half bad but DIRTY.

Voila! The newly reupholstered chair! Love the teal fabric.

 Love, love, LOVE my "new" chairs! I hope that you love them too!