Playset Redo

Really, I am just so proud of this re-do, I want to hug myself.

We really wanted to get a good, solid playset for our kids -- something like a Rainbow or a Backyard Adventures set with big, heavy timbers that wouldn't sag or rot easily. Of course, this type of playset is very expensive for even a base model ($1500 for a BA playset that had only monkeybars and swings; $1250 for a really basic Rainbow). We knew we needed a set with 3 swings and we were hoping to get monkey bars and a clubhouse of some sort. I scoured Craigslist for a month or more, looking for a used playset. We found several that were in good condition, but most were either too big for our yard or too expensive or both. A few were the right price and size, but we didn't act quickly enough and they were snapped up.

Finally, one day I found a Rainbow playset on Craigslist for just $700. I called immediately and left a message. Long story short, the sellers happened to live just 2 blocks from us, the set was exactly what we were looking for, was in excellent condition, and had been installed on a level yard (this is very important if you're buying a used set -- unlevel conditions mean they may have jerryrigged it to sit level and the whole set can end up warped).

Here it is when we first bought it and set it up in our yard:



The set was 6 years old, and Rainbow replaced -- for FREE -- the one board that had rotted out in that time AND the one beam that was damaged when the set was disassembled. Rainbow will do this for the original owners if they present the damaged boards and their original receipt. The sellers were more than happy to do this for us. For the record, you can still take your damaged bits in without a receipt and they'll replace them for a fee as well; still a pretty good deal to know you can always replace anything that rots or breaks with an exact match.

It needed a new stain job, so my husband power washed it (not technically difficult, but somewhat fussy as the playset has a lot of surfaces) and I stained it. I used Behr Premium Semi Transparent deck stain in Redwood Naturaltone, which is an EXACT match to the original finish on the Rainbow boards. I would probably not have chosen this color, but since we had two replacement boards that were already pre-stained, I thought it best to have everything match. When it has to be done again in 4-6 years, I'll choose a different color. I used a large deck staining pad and a little paint pad and an angled brush made for stain products. It took me about 3 hours to do the whole thing and yes, it was a pain in the you-know-what.

Here it is all beautified:



The board holding up the canopy right next to the slide was replaced, but with the new stain job, you can't really tell.

It makes me happy every time I look out my window.

I'm linking to A Soft Place to Land's DIY Day 'cause I did this MYSELF!

Fatal Attraction

Pottery Barn, Oh Pottery Barn!
Wherefore art thou so dang expensive?




My baby went to preschool today and I took advantage of my 2.25 hours of childfree time to wander through Pottery Barn. I asked a quick question about a sofa, which developed into a whole conversation, which ended with an estimate sheet detailing the exactly perfect sofa for our family room to replace the hideous mostrosity currently residing there.


Unfortunately, that estimate was for $1900. But I could have it by October 14th.....for $1900.


Not long ago, I saw some home guru on GMA or the Today Show talking about great style at affordable prices and the top pick for "affordable" was Pottery Barn. You know, with their $2000 sofas. Here's a funny thing -- the armchair that matches the sofa I am in love with costs $1100. In fact, the whole grouping I saw this morning would cost about $6000, not including throws, extra pillows and assorted tchochkes. For one room.



The heck of it is, they really do have great style. Their rooms look pulled together without being matchy-matchy. They look inviting and indeed, they are inviting. Just go to a Pottery Barn store and try to walk through it without touching anything. These places are full of beautiful colors and luscious textures that just beg you to run your hand over them. Sheepskin, chenille, pickstitching, organic cotton, sculpted metal, nubby baskets, seagrass....it's a feast for the senses. If they'd install a coffee bar, I'd probably move in.


So what, if you're trying to have great style but you have more like a Target income, are you supposed to do?



It's very, very depressing.

Not Feeling the Love

September is here, the kiddies have been back at school for 3 weeks, Baby starts preschool on Wednesday and I am feeling frustrated.

It's hard to pin down why I feel like this. It was a huge relief to send the kids back to school. The last 2 weeks before it resumed were easily the worst 2 weeks of the summer. Constant fighting, constant attitude, constant mischief, and no desire to do anything constructive on anyone's part (me included, although I tried out of sheer desperation).

But naturally, the start of school brings with it the start of other activities -- soccer, gymnastics, church activities on wednesday nights--which have to be added to piano and our weekly trips to the allergist. If my hair was on fire all summer, I am spending my days shot out of a cannon now.

My littlest has hit some kind of personality wall -- I don't remember the 3s being so grouchy/stubborn/naughty in my other two. They are excruciating with her. My husband chirped in that perhaps she needed more activity -- I should take her to the park, the play place at the mall, a friend's house, a play class... I had to point out to him that I can only do the laundry when I am, in fact, here. Also, I cannot make dinner by remote control, although I would certainly like to try. While a constant round of activity sounds great, I do have to be in the house some of the time. We do go the the library and I take her on errands -- she recognizes Target, Home Depot, TJ Maxx and Barnes and Noble and loves all of them.

Normally not being able to complete projects makes me nutty, but we've actually gotten quite a lot done over the last month. I have some indoor projects that need doing -- first up is repainting my half-bath -- but while I would like to get those done, I don't feel a huge need to do so. I think one of the things nagging at me is the sheer volume of stuff we have in this house. I am going to hit some kind of breaking point soon where I just start chucking things in the trash or the Goodwill box and get it out of here. The garage is one place I'd like to just pitch stuff out of. After that it's the basement's turn.

Maybe what I need is a good Spring cleaning. Certainly a lot of things would seem less overwhelming if there were just less of them. Like toys. Of which we have 40 million or so.

Too much stuff. Hmmm. Am going to let this idea percolate and see if that's my trouble.