She says... I love our new mailbox

When we moved into the new house I thought the mailbox was really cute, but not functional. I have a little bit of mailbox paranoia. I can imagine all kinds of way my mail could get lost... blowing away, being snatched, etc. This mailbox definitely wasn't going to cut the mustard. 

Aaron spotted this mailbox at Home Depot for half off. Someone had already bought it, put it together and brought it back because they didn't have anywhere to bolt it down. I thought it looked like overkill at first but he talked me into it and I'm so glad. 

It looks really cute next to the house and I love the security! The front has a slot for the mail carrier to drop stuff in and we use a key to get it out. I can rest easy now that our mail is safe. 

He Says...Who knew a mailbox could be kewl

I enjoy getting mail...but never thought of it as "kewl".  That was until we got this!  Prior to getting this we had a normy mailbox. We'd been lookin around for one like this but normally you'd have to give an arm and a leg for one of these babies, and I am rather fond of grabbing stuff and walking so that simply wasn't an option.

It just so happened that we were in Home Depot and spotted this baby with a 1/2 off sign!  I went to check it out and asked one of the sales associates what was the cause for the low price?  Was it hot?  Was it broken?  Missing pieces?  What?!  Turns out that it was none of the above.  A lady and her husband had bought it, put it together and brought it home.  Once home they couldn't figure out how to secure it - so they brought it back for a refund.  Welp, their misfortune turned out to be our gain.  Not only did we get it for 50% off but I was able to use my 10% military discount too!

As you can see the styling of this thing is pretty sweet, but the functionality is what I love.  This thing not only stores more mail than your standard box but also keeps it secure.  This is great for J and I as we are always out and about.  Now we don't have to worry about the mail getting stolen.

She says... it's easy being green at Starbucks

Since we just celebrated Earth Day, it seemed like a green post was in order. Sometimes it can feel like living sustainably is a huge undertaking. We have taken on some challenges like growing our own veggies, installing a rain barrel and composting. But there are lots of little things you can do to... and those small things add up.

One of those small things we have tried to do is use reusable mugs when we go to Starbucks. It might seem insignificant but imagine if everyone used a reusable mug when they went to Starbucks, picture how many paper cups could be saved. We got the ones above for our summer Buck Buck drinks of choice, iced mochas. 

This mug is one Aaron got me for hot drinks. I like it because I like to get the size "short" - one smaller than a tall and this is equal to a short. Two other bonuses is that it keeps my drink warm longer and it doesn't spill. 

Now I'm not gonna pretend that I remember to bring one everytime I go to Starbucks. We try to keep them in the car, but when you ahhhh don't wash them right away that doesn't always work out. But you can't beat yourself up over it. As long as you keep trying, we're gonna get there.

He Says...keepin it Green at Starbucks

If I could put a restaurant in my basement it would be Starbucks!  I love the place, and to be able to roll outta bed and get a hot cup of fresh coffee would be saaweeet.  Unfortunately the company doesn't currently offer the basement franchise plan so until that happens Jenny and I will continue to go there...A LOT.  Seeing that we go so often and because we try and be environmentally conscious, I have decided to get a very large mug so that I can drink my weeks worth of coffee and only have to wash the huge mug once.  Kidding.  We do have ceramic cups we keep in the smart car so we can have them when the Starbucks mood strikes.

We have found that Starbucks, or Buck Bucks as I like to say, has some very cool reusable options for their hot and cold beverages.  One I really like that we got last summer are our reusable cold bev cups - they actually look like the regular cups you get but they are double walled so they don't do that annoying "sweating" that most cups do in the summer. Combine that great engineering with a cool lookin cup and you got me hooked.  I also love that we were able to get cups that are proportional to us..I am huge.

This winter Starbucks came out with some cool reusable thermosy type mugs that also came in the appropriate size for each of us.  What I like about the cup is that the top is easy to open and unlike some travel mugs, doesn't hold the coffee in the lip of the cup and then spill on ya on your way to a meeting.  Thanks Starbucks for thinking of that...my pants and shirts thank you too.

He Says...Chainsaw + Ooglay shrubs = GOOD TIME

I have always wanted my own chainsaw.  Not that I want to go around hackin up fools like you see in the movies, or do I want to be a lumberjack - I just like it as a great and very useful tool.  Well, the Easter bunny was very gewd to me this Easter!  I got the chainsaw above in my basket this year and I was sooo excited to fire it up and start hacking away at what ever I could.

One thing to note is that I do not like huge unruly bushes next to houses.  Never have.  First house we had, Jenny went away for a weekend and 'ZIP' bushes were out and new nicer looking plants were in their place.

BEFORE

 

AFTER

Pair my disdain for ugly bushes together with the ownership of this new beautiful piece of engineering genius and you get my latest project on the house.  I like to refer to it as "DEATH TO BUSHES".  When we moved into the house it made me tick to see all the bushes smooshed up against the house  just hangin' out all over with no shape, no symmetry, no redeeming value - plus there were some in very random places - 1 standing off to the side of the porch, 1 standing off the side of the garage - what is that about?

Pre-DEATH TO BUSHES

Welp, seeing that we moved in right before winter hit, I was unable to get out there and lay down my wrath on the bushes...that was until last week when the weather warmed.  Again Jenny was away for business and it was just me against the bushes. I am pleased to say that I won.  Something so satisfying to taking something you don't like and making a new clear palette full of possibility. 

Post DEATH - Cleaned up and ready for new 'us' landscaping

It's not all about rage filled chainsaw wielding fury - I love making the house 'ours'.  The bushes that were there were NOT 'us' and so therefore they had to go.  I am excited to start to make changes the yard and landscape that reflects what my little buddy and I love, and now that the 'ooglay' is gone we can begin.

She says... he gets carried away with a saw & an axe

Aaron hates bushes and shrubs. That's all there is to say. I discovered this with our first house. There used to be nice shrubbery in front of the sunroom. It was a bit messy at first but after some trimming, it was just typical greenery. Aaron hated it with a passion. He tore a big shrub out of the backyard and put a little fence up to hide the garbage bins and I think that started a trend. 

I came home from a Storytelling Conference to find that the bushes that were once in front of the house (photo above) were suddenly gone (photo below).

Granted he planted some really cute flowers there instead, so I couldn't say much. 

That was his plan. Divert her attention with pretty flowers and she won't notice. 

But it's hard to miss a pile of green carcasses out on the curb. 

Now we are in a new house and there are shrubs galore. Or shall I say there were. My parents got Aaron a chainsaw for Easter and now the yard looks like this. 

Am I happy about chopping down every living thing in the yard? Not completely. But Aaron has a vision and as long as he promises a plan with new plantings that is our compromise. 

Phase one of Operation Yard Improvement clearly is one of cutting down and clearing out. Stay tuned for phase two which is plotting and planting. 

She says... Shiny Toy Guns is my fav new band

Aaron is the one that first noticed Shiny Toy Guns. We were at a concert a year ago to see All American Rejects and Shiny Toy Guns was an opening act. Sometimes it takes a few listens before I catch onto a new band. Aaron liked them right away and was downloading songs.

I heard a song on a Lincoln commercial I really liked and when I looked it up it was Shiny Toy Guns.  Major Tom is my all time favorite Shiny Toy Guns song.

Everytime I heard them after that I liked them more and more. I really like how Chad Petree and Sisely Treasure's voices (cool name) work together. Sisely just kicks butt period.

When we were in Stratton, VT for the Burton US Open we could hardly believe it when we found out Shiny Toy Guns was playing a concert there. Check out Sisley's rainbow hair and sparkle tights. Awesome.

It was one of the best concerts I have ever been to because I was in the front row. They played all my favorite songs.

Here is my current favorite song - You Are the One.

He Says...Shiny Toy Guns are bangin

I've liked Shiny Toy Guns for a while now...one of the things I love about them is the mix of the vocalists Chad and Sisely makes for a great sound.  Jenny and I were fortunate to catch them last year in a concert with All American Rejects.  I think that is what really sealed it...Shiny Toy Guns put on an AMAZING show.  Its good when you like a band and you go to see them and they play 'that' song that you love...but when their entire set are all songs you love...you know you've found a Great band. 

Here is one of my favorites...Ricochet.  Great song for listening to in the car...just easy on the gas. 

RICOCHET! from Shiny Toy Guns on Vimeo.

Here is another that I really like...Ghost Town. In most cases screeching would be unpleasant but somehow in this song Sisely makes it work and its amazing. Plus this video - the animation is just freakin kewl.

Ghost Town from Shiny Toy Guns on Vimeo.

When we were visiting Stratton, Vermont for the 2010 Burton US Open we were pleasantly surprised to find out that they would be playing a show ON THE MOUNTAIN! It was amazing! Snow under our feet, band sounded great, and mountains all around...plus we were right in the front row! If you haven't checked these guys out go do it now. (Also you can follow them on twitter twitter.com/@shinytoyguns)