Cultivate a Beautiful Backyard with TruGreen Professional Services

 For the Home, Make This House a Home  No Responses »
Aug 222013
 

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for TruGreen.  I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

From a very young age the importance of curb appeal and landscape management were impressed upon me.  The house I grew up in sits on a hill and the driveway wraps around it (up one side, down the other).  The driveway isn’t quite a quarter-mile long, but it’s probably close.  So between the area in front of the house between the driveways, the area on either side of the house, and the area behind it – we had a lot of lawn.

Beautiful Backyard Oasis Courtesy of TruGreen

As soon as I was old enough to be trusted to drive the riding lawn mower without a) cutting off my foot and b) cutting too many corners, it was deemed my task to cut the grass on the weekends.  As a middle school girl, it wasn’t exactly my idea of fun; nor was trimming the grass – with a spring-loaded hand trimmer! hello, blisters – around dozens of trees that lined part of our property.

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Family-Friendly Decorating Ideas

 For the Home, Make This House a Home  9 Responses »
Mar 172013
 

Decorating Ideas for Families

More than putting those little clips on your cabinet doors, and making sure sharp objects are kept at a safe distance, there are other ways to make sure your home is family-friendly, as you can see from my tips and ideas below.

Family-friendly Decorating Ideas - via viewsfromtheville.com

  • Use an outdoor rug indoors.  Choose a rug that is durable and easy-to-clean.  Heavily-patterned rugs are also a good idea, so that stains and crumbs are less visible.  Rugs on hardwood floors are a good idea, so that there is something soft for children to sit on, near the sofa.
  • Choose durable materials for upholstery, solid furniture and wall finishes.
  • Have non-upholstered chairs in the dining room.  Spills and scratches are inevitable, a rustic wooden table will make it look intentional.
  • Make spaces easily transitional.  This is especially important in the bedroom.  While it may be fun to deck-out a child’s bedroom in pink or blue, having a too-young bedroom when your children start to get older may make them feel out of place.  Instead, try to use elements that can be easily updated or re-purposed for when your children get older or change their favourite colour.
  • Create a space where people of all ages can be comfortable.  In the picture below, you’ll notice a white pouf.  I recommend using things like poufs and ottomans, and rocking chairs for people to be able to be able to sit comfortably.  It can be difficult for small children to climb up on a higher sofa, so having a variety of pieces to sit on is key.  You’ll notice that the kid-friendly furniture doesn’t look like it is just for children. Continue reading »

Getting #MomCave Inspiration From La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries

 For the Home, Make This House a Home  14 Responses »
Jan 292013
 

Creating a #MomCave With La-Z-Boy

#MomCave Inspiration From La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries

We’ve been planning out some projects for this house this year.  Almost every room needs something: new furniture, paint, accessories, a new layout.  This has given me a reason to spend a lot of time online browsing furniture stores to get inspiration and give us some focus for when we actually go shopping.

I need #MomCave inspiration from La-Z-Boy!

Can you read the cover of the book? It’s a book about “If…” I decided to leave it on the shelf because it fit my mindset of what this room could be, “if only…”

One of the rooms that needs to be redone is the office.  It’s kind of a sad-looking room to be honest.  If you’re like me, when you start home makeovers you probably choose rooms that other people can, you know, see.  No one goes into the office except us so it’s been much lower on the list to get attention.  There’s a huge desk that hubby and I share, and a treadmill.  And blinds.  Oh, and Bubbles’ diapers and wipes (out of site yet still quick to grab when needed).  Exciting, huh? Continue reading »

10 Tips For Toddler-Proofing Your Home

 For the Home, For the Kids, For Toddlers, Make This House a Home  17 Responses »
Jan 212013
 

Making Your House Safe For Toddlers

Toddler-Proofing With Munchkin Safety Items

One thing I wanted to do before we get started on all the Make This House a Home projects was to spend some time toddler-proofing our home.  This is a constantly-evolving task as your children grow older and develop new skills – and new curiosities!  You’ll need to think of each area of the house and what temptations it may hold.  Here are some suggestions to get you started! Continue reading »

Make This House A Home – A Home Improvement Series

 For the Home, Make This House a Home  9 Responses »
Jan 172013
 

Make This House A Home: Home Improvement Series

Make This House A Home In 2013 - Home Improvement Series

When we moved into this house almost a year ago now, there were things that talked about changing, furniture we wanted to buy, walls that needed painting.  Instead of jumping right into it, though, we waited on a lot of our ideas.  We’re both big believers in living in a space for awhile so you can figure out the best flow, how your family’s activities and traffic impact the space, etc.  But now we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and get in there!

So in addition to my Organization: 2013 series that I’m sharing with you throughout the year we’re going to be talking about how to make your house a home.  I’ll share remodeling and design tips, decorating ideas, product suggestions, and much more.  There will even be some before and after photos for you so you can see how simple changes can make a big impact.

I’ll be talking about every room of the house from the kitchen to family room, office to bathroom, bedrooms to those spaces you’re not quite sure with what to do.  The outdoor spaces won’t be forgotten, either!  I’ll cover the garage, deck or patio, backyard, and landscaping.  I hope you’re ready to get some dirt under your nails along with us!

We’ll be starting soon, but in the meantime do you have any specific design and remodel requests?