Edible Container Gardening

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.

We have been waiting with crazy anticipation to learn what our Home Depot gardening assignment would be. It was thrilling to be chosen as one of the bloggers working with the Home Depot Garden Club, each project they listed was something we had talked about doing at our house.  We were asked to build an Edible Container Garden. It’s a project we have been thinking about for so long, I was thrilled.

The first thing we did was to talk about the best place for the garden. Even though we have a front and back yard, the backyard is heavy shade most of the time; not the best option. We chose a location on the side of our front yard, it gets the very best light.

Next I went to Coraline (Arya is too little) and talked to her about Edible Gardens. She loves science, so learning that fruits (and vegetables but mostly fruits thrilled her) can grow on plants in her own yard was super awesome. We talked about what kinds of plants we could grow and how she would help us build the garden (she loves to build).

Because this is our first time with an Edible Garden, we wanted to get to The Home Depot and find out what plants they had available, what would do well in our climate. Coraline’s first request for example was bananas...which I knew was probably not going to happen. She wasn’t too disappointed.

I spent time on The Home Depot Garden Club site reading about Edible Container Gardens. The size and scope of the project is one that is toally customizable for your space and needs. If you don’t have a yard, you can use pots and planters or window boxes for your needs. Since we had the space, we chose a raised garden bed. We had actually done some research a few months ago about raised bed gardening but found the task of raised bed gardening design completely daunting. It wasn’t until our assignment came that I learned The Home Depot has raised bed gardening kits.  A total game changer for us, a kit we can totally do!

So... My next three posts for The Home Depot are going to cover how we build our Edible Container Garden: From shopping to planting. We are excited as a family for this awesome outdoor project. I hope you join us on our adventure.

It’s home improvement time, and The Home Depot has everything you need to #DigIn for Spring. No matter what projects you want to tackle, they have great values on all you need. They’re ready to help you with renovation ideas and expert advice, too.

Get over $300 in email exclusive savings each year, sneak peeks on new products, monthly lawn & garden ideas for your region and access to The Home Depot’s gardening experts.

Click here The Home Depot Garden Club to join the world’s largest garden community today! Or go to http://gardenclub.homedepot.com/ to see some of the many benefits of membership.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.

4/15/13 Boston

I talk a lot, I think that shows in my blogging also. I generally have a lot to say to anyone that will listen. So, when words fail me, it's never a good thing. 

Yesterday was a terrible day for my city. Never do you wake up and think, today is the day something terrible will hapen in Boston. In fact, Marathon Monday is such an amazing day for us here. It's a state holiday, Patriots Day; celebrating the start of the Revolutionary War. It's the first day of Spring Break for school kids. It's basically our mark of Spring. That morning is filled with promise and hope whether you are running the marathon or not. The fact that someone took that all away from us yesterday, is unthinkable. 

I am very sad today. I am sad for the loss of lives, one of the three dead was an 8 year old boy from my neighborhood. I am sad for the injured. I am sad for the witnesses. I am sad for my city and our loss of comfort and safety.  

Today is a day that Boston is holding their children and loved ones a little bit closer. It is a day we are taking pictures of our beautiful home on lovely Spring days. It is a forced day of extreme appreciation for all we have. 

Boston will mourn for a long time, in fact, we will never be the same, But this is more then a city, it is a tight community. We will be there for eachother, to talk, to listen, to learn. We will pool our collective sadness for the good of us all. 

Boston will pull through. 

Little Tikes Play Structure Makeover

I'm so excited about this project, for so many reasons. I have always wanted to do a big remake on a kids plaything, for one and I knew the girls were going to be insanely happy with a big structure. Well big relative to our yard and their sizes. 

I was beyond thrilled to get a message from fellow blogger Sharon from Viola Cay (her blog is seriously funny) asking if I was interested in her old Little Tikes play structure. It was the perfect size for our yard and my girls. It was in great shape, it totally didn't need the makeover - like I said, I really wanted to do this kind of project. 

I'm thinking Little Tikes should maybe hire some mama bloggers for a program where we all go and approve colors for these toys. I don't think many parents are into the giant orange, green, yellow, blue; primary color block structures in their yards. Your yard is something of an important style symbol, it really set the tone of your style, makes an impression or statement. Does this set the tone I want?

My yard isn't super nice, it isn't even nice right now. We are slowly working on so many outside projects so eventually I can post a picture and be so proud. My backyard is dirt, all dirt. It might be an over statement to say it's a work in progress, but it will be something great soon. 

So I headed to Home Depot to arm myself with lovely colors I won't mind staring at for the next few years. Spray paint is so much better now then it once was, they have things specifically for plastic. 

Admitedly this project was totally rushed. I started late on the windiest day ever in Boston. I was rushing to beat the sunset for sure.  I maybe should have taken more time to do a primer coat or a rough sand, but I wanted cute colors right away and just went for it. 

I'm really happy with how this turned out. I love the colors. I would have gotten 3 cans of each of my colors instead of two, for another coat on each color. Also, as I was painting the slide I kept thinking, I'm sure this will not hold up to sliding, which it didn't. I can't decide if I should try another coat or two on the slide. 

Even with the little imperfections, we all love this so much. I can not say Thank You enough to Sharon from Viola Cay, because hand me downs are awesome!

Do you have a plastic play thing that you would love to tackle? Are you ready to hit craigslist for some awesome deal for a makeover? Totally worth it!

This Week....

I feel like I need to do a regular Friday post to wrap up the week, because I am envious of the bloggers that find time to write nearly everyday. Sometimes I can do it, sometimes Arya is painting the dog and I can't find the mystery smell in my house and I haven't seen my counter for days; writing is not happening. So lets do it, a wrap up of this week. 

Spring! 

Spring made it's first appearance this weekend with sunshine and warm weather. I was so excited I actually did yard work with the girls. We had a million leaves to rake. 

Spring also means family walks in the neighborhood, which is tons of fun for all involved. Until someone falls. 

Spring time walks in full effect. 

This picture left out all the mess of my house and my Target clearance duvet made it look like my house is in some way nice. 

Coraline saw a picture of Dora the Explorer in a 2 piece bathing suit, so she had to have one. She is beyond thrilled with this rainbow Hello Kitty choice. 

While trying to get some work done I traded peace and quiet for these things happening...

Preschool is going well. Coraline is excited to go and I find I am a better mama with the down time. 

It finally started consistently being Spring time weather, so we had ice cream on the porch. 

Arya is 18 months and fully aware of everything now. I'm pretty sure she had no idea there was such a thing as warm weather, sunshine, a yard and no heavy coats. I can no longer convince her to stay inside. 

Painting on the porch. This will be a favorite activity for the next 5 months. 

Dig In with The Home Depot

 Oh my god you guys, today it is 60 degrees and sun! Boston has had the longest Winter of all time or at least that is how it felt. I thought we would never see dirt in our yard again. Spring has been slow to come but it's really starting. I haven't yet seen the official sign of spring in my yard: the first crocus; but I have seen other people posting crocus pictures online. My children were getting so sick of being inside and cleary have a case of whatever is worse then cabin fever. I have fallen into a serious funk from lack of sunlight and vitamin D. 

One of the many things that made us buy our house is that we have a front yard, front and side porch ,back yard and a deck. We live in the city of Boston; having a yard in Boston is almost as rare as owning your own unicorn. It is so awesome! That being said, it needs serious work. In no way was our yard move in ready. We are first time home owners so knowing where to start can be really overwhelming, honestly Home Depot has been a huge saviour to us. I think the same day we closed on our house, we went to Home Depot. 2 years later we are there every weekend in the spring and summer. Home Depot isn't just a resource for supplies for us, they have all kinds of ways to help you from inspiration to instructions. The Home Depot Garden Club is an excellent resource for project ideas, big and small. You don't have to be home owner to work outside! 

Joining the Garden Club is free, so you should definitely do it. I know you get a lot of lame newsletter emails but this one is going to help so much.  You will get monthly to do list emails, which seriously? is awesome for me. I am a huge list maker and also a newbie to yard/garden work. For instance, I bought bulbs for the yard and grass seed because I at least know I want that. When I got home I realized I have know idea when I should be planting this stuff in Boston. I have so many unknowns for that matter...when should I clean my porch off? When is it safe to pull my deck furniture out? How do I trim the mystery bush in my yard? (It's Forsythia but I seriously had to look that up) More about the Garden Club:

"Get over $300 in email exclusive savings each year, sneak peeks on new products, monthly lawn & garden ideas for your region and access to our gardening experts. All you need to do is join the world’s largest garden community today! 

Benefits to the Garden Club membership include:

• $5 your next garden purchase of $50 when you sign up
• 8 new projects to help you #DigIn to spring
• Monthly to-do lists
• Expert advice
• How-to videos

The timely advice and reminders in the Garden Club’s monthly national to-do list help millions of members enjoy their yards and gardens more. Additional to-do lists focusing on specific regions help you stay ahead of seasonal changes specific to your part of the country. Sneak peeks and reviews help you plan your garden purchases before cutting edge products and new varieties have a chance to sell out."

We definitely have a list of garden and yard projects that the Home Depot is going to help us tackle this Spring, because the more you get done in the Spring, the more you can enjoy the outdoors all Summer.  I haven't picked our first project of the summer yet, right now I am in clean up mode.

It’s home improvement time, and The Home Depot has everything you need for spring. No matter what projects you want to tackle, The Home Depot has you covered.

Spring is the perfect time for all your outdoor home renovations. Shop The Home Depot for terrific values on new patio furniture, landscape supplies such as fertilizer and potting soil and outdoor grills. Keep your lawn and garden looking great, too, with the huge selection of lawn mowers, edgers and trimmers, and garden tools.

Visit The Home Depot Garden Club for product ideas from kick-starting your Spring with seed starter kits to building a window birdfeeder. 

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.