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It's been a full year since our house went fully-electric! With the new systems, there have been some struggles. When we replaced the HVAC last year, we also went through a full house rewire, but haven't had a chance to completely reinsulate the attic yet! So, I'll have a two-year follow up as well that will go over our energy usage after we revamp the insulation as part of the attic project. That project is just barely underway, and we're definitely looking forward to having the space usable year-round even to help bolster our storage capacity. More on that later! 
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Last summer, we joined the ranks of the smokeless firepit people. Our older kids are not huge fans of smelling smoke or smelling like smoke. So, this was the perfect addition to our backyard to not only up our overall enjoyment but also give us a little something to do together. The firepit we went with is the Breeo, and this is our honest, NOT sponsored, review of their products. We love them! We landed on the Breeo for one main reason: it's made in the US by workers who are paid a living wage. That was the biggest draw when we really started looking for the right product for us. Reviews were all good, and I was excited about the accessory products they had available as well. Who doesn't want a heat deflector for winter or a grill?  This year, we finally integrated our last vego garden bed into the vegetable garden, swapped the front beds for shorter ones, and are trying our hand at a new irrigation system. After a lack-luster vegetable garden last year (so many volunteers... and so many squash beetles), we revamped the beds with fresh soil, and took down the chicken wire enclosure. Without the netting over the top and the fence proximity, it wasn't the deterrent we needed, and made it more of a pain to access the garden. Plus, the squash explosion last year proved it wasn't quite what we needed when it pulled a whole side down. Since May is plant sale season in Minnesota, I was able to stock up on a lot of different things! Getting them into the ground can be a little tricky: we went from freezing most of the day to blistering hot when the sun is out in a matter of a few days! So, there were days of good bursts to get things put into the beds and into the ground, and we worked whenever the sun wasn't a major setback.  |
Katie SwansonI am a parent, creative spirit, and old house lover. My big passions are sustainable design and preservation. Bringing these together is key to moving existing homes into the future. * By subscribing to the monthly newsletter, you consent to receive links this month's blog posts and other relevant blog updates, a round up of things I love, and as a throwback to my DIY days, I may toss in an exclusive knit or crochet pattern of mine. Archives
January 2025
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