Welcome to summer at the Dekker farmhouse!
Just a few more days until our 10-week summer vacation begins — filled with flowers and fudgesicles, swimming and sleeping in, campfires and card games… yup, we’re excited!
I’m also extra excited that our laundry room project (which we technically started 3 years ago) is nearly complete!
Those of you in my email community recently enjoyed a video tour of our farmhouse — including the first internet sighting of our brand new (almost finished) laundry room!!!
We’re waiting on cabinet doors and a butcher block counter over the washer and dryer — but otherwise it’s finished.
This means I officially have TWO laundry areas (our new laundry room right off the kitchen, and our basement laundry area) so I can do laundry twice as fast.
More laundry in less time is pretty high up there on my list of Favorite Things… I’m sharing more favorites below!
FAVORITE MOMENT = Buying and Planting Annuals
Truthfully, I don’t love paying for flowers that will “only” last 6 months… and I don’t love the back-breaking work of planting hundreds and hundreds of annuals each spring…
BUT, the constant pops of color throughout our entire landscape from May through October is worth the cost and effort.
Plus, the kids enjoy shopping for flowers (the greenhouse is GORGEOUS) and they’re actually becoming somewhat helpful in the planting and watering process.
If flowers bring you joy (and you have wiggle room in your budget) plant some annuals yet this season!
FAVORITE ROUTINE = Quiet Evenings at Home
I know many of you can relate to feeling happy and content at home — we’re a kindred group in this tiny corner of the internet and I love it!
So, you understand the gloriousness of putting the kids to bed on time (even when it’s still light out) and enjoying the quiet house/yard/porch/patio to yourself every evening.
Yes, Dave and I love spending time with our children… but we also love the fact that they willingly go to bed at a reasonable hour so we can regroup and enjoy some quite each evening before we go to bed.
Many of our “in real life friends” question why Dave and I never go on dates or vacations just the two of us… my answer is simply, “Why would we when we both love being home as much as we do?”
RELATED READING: Dream Weddings, Date Night, and Decade with Dave
As we prepare to celebrate our 15th anniversary later this month (time flies!) I couldn’t resist this cute sign I found for $5 in a local antique store last week.
It’s already hanging in our bedroom and it sums up the last 15 years perfectly — let’s stay home!
I love that he loves staying home with me as much as I love staying home with him.
PAST FAVORITE = 4-Way Hose Splitter
A few years ago, I shared our 4-way hose splitter… and it’s still one of my favorite things!
It might not be the prettiest feature in our yard, but we’ve conveniently tucked the hose splitter (and all the hoses) behind a row of limelight hydrangeas, so it doesn’t look too bad.
This little $17 contraption saves us loads of time moving hoses each week… definitely a solid investment!
NOTE: if you’re in the market for a hose splitter, spend a little extra for brass — it will hold up SOOOOO much better than plastic!
RELATED READING: Our Favorite Low-Maintenance Perennials
FAVORITE CLOTHING = Garage Sale Birkenstocks
I purchased a pair of used Birkenstocks (for $2) from a garage sale a few years ago… and they are still my most favorite pair of sandals. I wear them almost everywhere from the time the weather warms up in the spring until it cools down again in the fall.
They fit my feet perfectly, they are so comfortable, and they boast a casual summer style that seems to work with almost everything I wear.
RELATED READING: 6 Reasons Why We Buy Used
If you’re interested in the same sandals, mine are the “Arizona” style and the “Taupe/Suede” color/fabric. Here’s an Amazon link (I wear size 8… but get a 38 for Birkenstocks).
Fun Fact: I also found a pair of Birkenstock clogs at a thrift store (for $5) and I wear those during colder weather.
FAVORITE BOOK = Love Centered Parenting
I worked as a Virtual Assistant for Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom for over a decade, and I can attest to the fact that she truly is as sweet as she appears to be online.
I’ve read and enjoyed all her books so far, but her most recent book, Love Centered Parenting, is one of my new favorites!
It covers a totally new topic for Crystal (parenting… not money-saving or productivity) and it feels extremely relevant for my current stage of life — like she wrote the book specifically for me!
I listened to the book (twice) on Hoolpa while painting our laundry room walls and trim last month, and I found myself nodding along and wishing for an extra hand so I could jot down all my thoughts.
If you’re tired of parenting books that offer promises of “fixing” your child’s behavior or “solving” your parenting woes, Crystal’s book will be a breath of fresh air for you (and your whole family).
I give it 5 stars and recommend it to anyone with younger children or grandchildren (or anyone who interacts with young children!)
READ THE BOOK: Love Centered Parenting: The No-Fail Guide to Launching Your Kids
FAVORITE MEDIA = Craftsy.com Membership
Over Christmas break, I purchased a Craftsy.com membership for our family. I immediately started taking an embroidery course and a knitting course.
RELATED READING: How to have a hobby when you don’t have the time.
Since then, the kids have also taken a few courses — Nora took a drawing course, the kids all watched a course about how to create cartoons, and our whole family enjoyed a course on Outdoor Preparedness (it was geared towards teaching kids how to “survive in the wild” and it was really well done!)
So far, I’ve been beyond impressed with every instructor, every course, and every download I’ve gotten from Craftsy… and while I don’t think we’ll spend too much time in front of the computer or TV this summer, I do have a few courses bookmarked for rainy or hot/humid days when we just need a break from being outside.
If this sounds like something you, your kids, or anyone else in your life might enjoy, I have REALLY good news for you… because a full-year Craftsy.com membership is currently only $3!!
Yes, $3 for the entire year — no strings attached!
FAVORITE RECIPE = 30 Easy BBQ Side Dishes
If you’re looking for a fool-proof dish to take with you to your next BBQ, picnic, or summertime event, try one of these easy recipes.
Salads, fruits, veggies, drinks, desserts, and more — they’re all Dekker-family approved, they all travel well, and most of them can easily be made in advance!
Get The Recipes Here: 30 Easy BBQ Side Dishes
FAVORITE QUOTE = “Ann Landers”
“Know when to tune out — if you listen to too much advice, you may wind up making other people’s mistakes.” ~ Ann Landers
I was recently listening to a podcast where the hosts’ husband (a church pastor) recommended intentionally tuning out most of the advice that comes our way — especially if it’s from people who don’t know us or our situation well (namely the “advice” from social media and the online world).
It’s just too much information — we can’t possibly make a decision if we take the opinions and advice of everyone we know (or don’t know!) This is one reason “decision fatigue” is such a big issue today — we feel burned out by the sheer volume of decisions we much make each day because we are constantly considering everyone else’s opinions.
Instead, this pastor suggested that, when faced with a difficult decision, we consult with just 2 or 3 trusted sources — people who are most likely older and more experienced than us, people whose values we adhere to, people who know us well and have our best interest at heart — and let them help us through a tough decision-making process.
FUN FACT: Did you know that “Ann Landers” was a pen name used by Ruth Crowley and Esther Lederer for the Ask Ann Landers column that ran in many major newspapers from 1943 – 2002??
FAVORITE ARCHIVED POST = Enjoy One Moment
Back in 2016, I shared this post about “Enjoying One Moment”… not necessarily EVERY moment like the cliché phrase implies we should.
Honestly, there’s no way I could “enjoy every moment”.
As a Christian, I can find joy in my circumstances… and certainly, I enjoy many moments throughout my days, but the thought of trying to enjoy every moment will forever annoy me.
If you’re someone who enjoys life, but maybe not EVERY moment… I think you’ll ENJOY (pun intended!) this archived post. 😁
Read my full Archives here.
Whew — that’s all for me this month.
Crystal Miller says
I love reading “my favorite things” and quite often get lots of great ideas! Thank you.
Andrea says
Oh good — I’m glad my favorites have become some of your favorites too 🙂
Michelle says
I loved this post. I remember that post of enjoy one moment well. it has really stuck with me through the years! My life is now full of happy memories from those moments!! I try to take pictures of my children enjoying their moments so they can look back one day and see how “happy” they were, haha. I was just looking at some of them this morning and felt like I have had a blessed life.
Kristen says
I just finished Love-Centered Parenting. It rocked me (in a good way) and left me with lots to think about. Some of the things Crystal said, I have found myself saying (to and about myself). I am planning to re-read it soon.
Siobhan says
Thank you for all of your insightful, relatable, and easily applicable content through the years 🙂
Andrea says
ah — you are so welcome! Thanks for YOUR loyal readership!
Shelby says
I love being home too but also love the experiences travel brings. Do you have any desire to show your kids other parts of the world?
Andrea says
If you want my honest answer… no, I don’t desire to show my kids other parts of the world (at least not through travel and not right now).
We read about faraway places every day, we watch National Geographic travel and nature shows, and we look up YouTube videos if they ever have a question about a specific place that we’re reading or talking about.
2 years ago, we read an entire series of books about different places in Michigan, and since then, we’ve read all sorts of books about scenic and historic places around the United States… someday, we might visit a few of the locations, but for now, it’s less expensive, less stressful, and more enjoyable for our entire family to be home. We take day trips around West Michigan, we visit a few different relatives who live within a few hours of our house, and we invite lots of people over for playdates, pool parties, BBQs, bonfires, etc. etc.
We’re fully aware that not everyone agrees with this thought process, but when we see friends and family who “drag” their babies, toddlers, and young children all over the place, only to come home crabby, tired, and in need of a “vacation from their vacation”, it just doesn’t look appealing to us.
Michelle says
my children love the free virtual reality tours you can find for just about any city or museum online. my son especially loved seeing the White House this way. he is not ready to travel yet in my opinion but he can still learn about different places through this and the other options you mentioned. right now he is interested in Paris and thinks it must be the best place in the world. so cute and funny how kids think!!
Amanda says
Happy anniversary! We also celebrated 15 years this year! We don’t go out often either, but I haven’t attained the early to bed routine you guys have. It sounds wonderful, I think we should work on it! Thanks for sharing, I enjoy your posts.
Andrea says
Thanks Amanda — Happy Anniversary to you too 🙂
And to be clear, the KIDS go to be very early… Dave and I don’t go to bed at the same time (just in case you were confused on that!)
Robbi says
Did you just bookmark your craftsy classes in your browser? Or is there a way to do it on their site that I’m not seeing?
Andrea says
Yes, I just bookmark them in my browser (I have a tab for Kids Ideas). That’s the ONE thing I don’t like about the membership — and I’ve already sent them a comment/suggestion as maybe something they could add in the future. But for $3, I’m still happy!
sherry says
Andrea, could you please post the link to your favorite battery storage case. I have been looking through you “favorite posts” and cannot find it. Thanks so much.
Andrea says
Hi Sherry,
I actually just use a shoebox with plastic drawer dividers in it — nothing fancy or specifically for batteries. You can see a picture of it in this post.
Sherry says
No wonder I couldn’t find it. Thanks so much and I have plenty of boxes I can use.
Bobbye says
I have been following you since before Nora was born. You are so practical. I love reading about your projects and all the kiddos. I really admire your lifestyle. I remember when the kitchen was remodeled.
Thanks for taking the time to share.
Andrea says
Thanks so much Bobbye 🙂
I’m certainly glad we are many years past the kitchen remodel!
Jen says
When I was pregnant with my daughter (she’s almost 22), my mom told me to listen to those I trusted and our pediatrician, and to read lots of books—and then to ignore the advice and do what worked for our family. That’s probably the best advice I’ve ever received…and I still use it for my own life even though my kids are grown!
Andrea says
great advice — thanks for sharing with all of us (and yes, I agree)
JJ says
Love Centered Parenting was definitely unique and helpful. I didn’t feel shamed or guilted but encouraged and challenged to rethink my perspective.
That is exciting to see your front yard garden. Wishing you the best in the summer fun!
My favorite thing right now is my Kavu bag. I use it as my regular purse and plan to use it as my take with me diaper bag. It alleviates a lot of shoulder, arm, and back pain I had with a regular purse and forced me to stop carrying everything but the kitchen sink in my purse. I have had it for about 6 months, and it still looks new!
My other favorite is PODS. When we moved, we used a POD(highly recommend!) to transport our stuff out of state. It was cheaper than a moving company(which we did when we previously moved out of state and had a bad experience with). You create an account, and they will send text alerts and an email the day before they arrive to drop off or pick up to let you know the time frame. They gave me a long window of time(numbers of days) to pick up the POD, but we chose a few days. I liked knowing it could have been longer if needed. They will position the door of the POD how you want it to make unloading easier.
Happy June, Andrea!!!
Susanne says
So many good things here! I love and wear my Birks so much that I don’t mind paying full price! Your gardens will be gorgeous there and I can’t wait to see the progress. We planted all day yesterday. Did you know you can easily keep geraniums in a dormant state over the winter? It would be hard to keep 100’s, but I kept 12 and they are blooming beautifully now, so that’s a bit of a savings (or at least leaves me more money to buy more plants – haha!) Have a great week 🙂
Amber Woods says
How do you put them in the dormant state?
Andrea says
I have the same question!!! So interesting 🙂
Andrea says
Thanks Susanne — I’m intrigued as to how you keep geraniums — that WOULD save me a bunch of money!
Chris says
I have saved my geraniums for many years. In the fall I cut them all the way back til they are at the height of the rim of the pot they are in. Yes, I cut them that far back. I always let them sit in the garage for a week or two in case there are any insects, then I bring them inside. I keep them either by a window in our sun porch or downstairs in our basement with a grow light on them for about 8-9 hours per day. They grow and flower. Sometimes they look a bit be-draggled when I bring them out in the spring, but after a week or two back in the outdoors, they are lovely.
Jo says
I’m in England but we all keep geraniums over winter in the gtreen house. I cut the, back and just leave them on the side. As long as they are protected from frost they will be fine in a garage. I don’t water in the cold months but in spring give them a sip of water until it is time to move outside. Mine are all in pots so I’m not digging up, just moving pots.
Andrea says
hmmmm… not sure this would work for me since mine are planted in the ground (and I have LoooooooTS of them). But good to know it can be done!