Thursday, August 7, 2014

Deferred Maintenance

I just got back from two weeks of work travel. Thus, the flower beds needed a serious overhaul, the mountain of laundry needed to be conquered, and all the little things that build up over time needed some serious Clorox.

In the middle of my trip, I got to spend a couple days with some family and friends in Illinois. After a comment of why I haven't updated this blog in awhile, I started thinking about all the house projects we've been putting off since February.

Here's the list so far…




This past weekend was a huge step in the right direction, as far as having a organized plan to tackle our home. I went through a ton of Pinterest articles and photos, and Troy and I went over the list point-by-point over coffee; our semi-new Friday night date at our favorite coffeehouse. 

We purchased a chainsaw attachment for our trimmer/weed wacker and trimmed all of the low hanging branches. Also, don't call me un-Southern, but I dug up almost all of my azalea bushes. They were planted a 3-4 years ago and haven't been pruned since. Only two of the bushes bloomed this spring, so instead of having bare leg bushes, I tossed them. It looks like I have giant gophers…


It's been a good time to do yard work. The rain hasn't been nearly as bad as last year, and the house across the street has undergone some major renovation. It was a small catalyst to getting our yard looking good, and most of the neighbors have taken the same cue. 



A couple weeks ago, I dug out our mailbox bed. It was pretty much hopeless trying to keep it maintained and the stones were not keeping the grass out. After removing the stones and first layer of dirt, I spread some Wildflower "Butterfly and Hummingbird" mix and fresh topsoil. Now we are seeing the first blooms.

And with that, I'm getting back to work.