Show Us Where You Live: Children's Rooms

Greetings from the Pacific Northwest and welcome to the Little Blue Bungalow. The Britten's: Drew, Katie Jean (that's me!), Fiona and Keegan are pleased you've chosen our blog to stop by for a visit during Kelly's Korner "Show Us Where You Live - Friday".

If you haven't guessed it by my blog's title, we live in a small blue bungalow. I'm proud to say our house may be small, but we've packed lots of creativity into our kid's rooms. I mean really...how many kids can boast that they have a climbing wall or monkey rings in their room. (Ours can, thanks to my handy husband Drew.)

First up is Mr. Keegan's room, the bright green monkey room. This room serves many purposes besides hosting my son's bed and toys...doubling as a guest room occassionally, office (holds our file cabinet), and storage (my husband's closet is actually in this room). Goodness...did you follow all of that!

The second picture displays Keegan's lincese plate mural that we created with $7.61 worth of hardware and serves as a vivid memory of all the places we've lived. (Honestly...those are all of ours.) It is a perfect display for a little two year old boy on the constant move. In the same picture you'll notice one of the monkey rings hanging down. My husband purchased this set from IKEA and mounted it to our rafters for hours of indoor fun on those rainy Winter days here in the Pacific Northwest.

Because of limited space and storage creativity in our home, many of the joint toys are stored in my daughter's room as well as Keegan's clothes. And no, it isn't a problem...no stairs to climb...no endless rooms...just a small bungalow to run and get what we need. We are blessed to have a home. God has always provided our every need.

Fiona's room is highlighted by a lovely canopy that my mother-in-law found at a Goodwill a year back. It definitely softens the room and provides a good spot to cuddle under for bed time stories.

Her room is filled with lots of creative play toys including a kitchen, dress-up clothes, and boxes filled with puzzles, games and art supplies. Ironically, the antique piece holding her toys and books has quite the history in my family. Rumor has it my Dad received it from a buddy out of his garage years back for helping him move some furniture, my parent's then refinished it and used it in their living room, my Dad then put it back in his garage for tools, then I refinished and used it in my dining room when I first got married, and then put it in Fiona's room after I inherited a dining room hutch from Drew's mom. (Whew...what a history!) It really is a lovely piece. I look forward to the day Fiona asks to take it for her first dining room and refinishes it again.

If you'll notice in the last picture at the far left corner of the room is the kid's climbing wall. It is really a clever storage idea as it swings down off the ceiling when you want to use it. We even have a little bell attached to the ceiling so when the kids climb the wall they get to ding the bell. (So funny.) I especially like that it folds up away from our kids as I don't want it to be a danger or a constant need for mom to be a "spotter". Instead, it has become a "Dad thing", aka "when Dad gets home." (I love it.)

We hope you enjoyed your glimpse into the Little Blue Bungalow. Feel free to come back often and follow the daily happenings of the Britten's through my own personal, witty writing style at Little Blue Bungalow.

If you enjoyed this guest room tour, please make sure to stop by Kelly's blog (click HERE) and visit other blogs participating in the "Show Us Where You Live - Friday".

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

A Year Later

A year ago, I laughed at people who worked out in hotel gyms...I mean, really you're on vacation. A year ago, I was winded if we did anything physical including running after my own kids. A year ago, I was uncomfortable in my own skin. (and I still am most of the time) A year ago I worried about the physical activities that my husband wanted our family to participate in...could I walk two miles, ride a bike around town, canoe around Lake Tye.

Instead of wondering anymore last year I made a change. I joined the YMCA. This is not the first time in my life that I had joined a gym. I think my record for membership at any gym prior was two months. But this time was different. I had found something more than just a gym. I found a community that made me accept myself for where I was, encouraged me to believe in myself and strive towards new goals.

In the beginning, I thought I was a star if I made it 30 minutes on the elliptical at a level 8. I had arrived or so I thought. Remember my first day at the YMCA. (Who can forget?) Months later I joined the ranks of Boot Camp, Zumba, Strength Conditioning, and other classes that pushed me further, made me laugh, connected me with others on the same health goals, caused me to sweat and make my muscles shake in intensity.

Gradually pounds slipped away and in nine months I wore out a pair of tennis shoes. Was that even possible? Wear out a pair of tennis shoes? Come on...me? But I did. I might not be the fastest, strongest or thinnest but every day I was dedicated to changing me.

Currently I'm training for a 5K. Big deal most of you think, but for me it is epic. I don't particularly love to run and my body aches from only a couple miles...it will be a huge achievement for a girl that couldn't even run a block last year. You can pray for me on July 4th that all my aches and pains subside on my big race day at the Everett YMCA.

The YMCA has supported me at every level of my health changes. They were there when I completed my first mile. They were there when I cried and didn't think I could go anymore. They were there when I had days when I didn't want to exercise. They were there when I celebrated small victories, and they will be there in the years to come to maintain when I get to my overall goal.

Nearly 50 lbs later I'm still working on it. There are days when I think...why am I doing this? But I look at my family and remember that each pound grants me more opportunities with them. And no...it hasn't been easy every day. But the rewards have been amazing. The ironic part in just one year I've gained so much from the YMCA: friends, a community, a healthier me and a job...all of this from one membership.

Yes, I work for the YMCA now in member services, administration and marketing and couldn't be more thrilled. What a dream to share my YMCA story with others, to pass on the passion I feel for what the YMCA can do in someone's live if they only believe in themselves.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Thursday (Friday) Thrifty Tip: Affording Get-Aways

I'm often asked by friends and family, "How can you afford to get away for your anniversary?" And my response is always, "I CAN'T afford NOT to!"
Having a strong marriage is very valuable to me and my husband.

Through fat and even lean years, we have always gotten away from the demands of life (including kids) for at least one day to celebrate our marriage. Over the years we have enjoyed lovely Bed and Breakfast inns, Ireland castles, standard hotels, and even camping. We have always made it a priority even if we only spent $18 camping in a nearby camp site.

At the beginning of the year we set aside a projected budget (a couple of hundreds to thousands depending on the year's event) to save throughout the year. Unfortunately there are year's that we have to dip into this special savings for accidentals (major car repairs, overspending, etc), but we still get-away... even if it means we have to do it in a MORE frugal way.

As the time nears our anniversary we look at where we are on a financial standing to finalize our anniversary plans. We often receive price breaks by staying at the same inn for more than one night or by staying mid-week. In addition, we research the area for free attractions, events, and activities. Maybe there is some amazing hiking or biking trail (we grab our hiking gear or bikes), perhaps a cool museum (we look for 2-for-1 coupons) or maybe a great festival (we grab the sunscreen, walking shoes and a sack lunch). The key here is being flexible in your activities according to your budget and NOT overspend.

One of the biggest areas we save is curbing the amount we dine out on our anniversary. Let's face it...going out to eat can be such a huge part of any vacation budget. Over a course of three days to a week we may only go out to eat 2-3 times the entire time, but it saves us money in the long run. (Big tip: Save big at least $5 on your restaurant bill by ordering only water...try it next time!) Instead, we pack a cooler full of snacks, lunches and drinks to sustain us throughout our trip.

For example, this year on Lummi Island we purposely picked the farm cabin which had a kitchenette, allowing us to have supper in the privacy of our cabin. We took advantage of the free breakfast at the main lodge that came along with our suite, packed sack lunches while we explored beaches and rode our bikes around the island, and snacked on our food...not some expensive food joint.

All in all we had a wonderful retreat, reconnected as a couple, relaxed and read in our cozy cabin, explored the island via bikes, but didn't break our "piggy bank".

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Wordless Wednesday

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Sneak Peek

We had a wonderful time on our "retreat" in honor of our 11th anniversary. Of course, we got thrown back into the reality of life with a sick kid, work deadlines, laundry, etc...so I can't write much. Instead I leave with you a sneak peek of our adventures through pictures and the promise to write more later.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Happy 11th Anniversary

Today is the day we said "I do" exactly eleven years ago. In honor of our marriage we are heading off for a weekend get-away as a couple WITHOUT kids. We are blessed Grandma Bonnie will be watching (aka "herding") the kids in our absence. (Thank you Grandma!)

This year we are heading to Lummi Island (just a short ferry ride from Bellingham, WA) to a relaxing Bed and Breakfast called Willows Inn. For the next couple of days, we plan to ride bikes, walk on the beach, read and reconnect as a couple...it sounds all too heavenly.

I'm sure I'll be back with stories to tell and pictures to share, but until then...

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Reader's Note: Drew is modeling his anniversary strawberry/rhubarb pie that I made yesterday. Every year I make him this special pie in honor of our anniversary. He noted this year that "this is the best pie you've made yet to date". I think he says that every year. (Smile.)

Eleven Years With The Man I Love

Tomorrow my husband and I celebrate our eleven years of marriage. Though we share eleven years of marriage, many of you don't know that we met at church camp (Forest Lake Baptist Camp in Ottumwa, IA) in eighth grade.

It was a camp romance that was kindled by faith, love, respect, and most of all friendship. Over the years void of today's modern conveniences of email, cell phones, Internet...we wrote letters to one another. In those heart-filled letters we wrote about our dreams, goals, families, hobbies and commitment to one another.

As we continued to meet yearly at camp, occasionally convince our parents to drive to see each other three hours away (THANK YOU)and have high school activities that we bumped into one another...our bond become even greater. Through the rough adolescent years including other boyfriends/girlfriends, we made a promise to come back after our first year of college to serve as program directors at the camp that had given so much to us both. Even though we weren't even really talking at that point in our lives, swept in the live of attending college...we kept that promise. And as they say..."and the rest is history".

I can honestly say Drew is my best friend and has been an amazing support throughout our years of marriage. There is a level of trust and respect in our marriage that I can't describe. Yes, we have had our ups and downs, trials and wins in our marriages but in the end it has made us stronger. Sometimes when I wonder how these two crazy camp kids could still be together after all these years, I remember that promise. No matter what...I know at the end of the day, we made a promise to one another that both of us will fight to keep to the day we met our creator in Heaven.

I feel so blessed to be Mrs. Britten...the wife, friend, and lover of my husband, Drew.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Thursday Thrifty Tip: Dumpster Diving

Another man's trash is another man's treasure.










As promised, for those enquiring minds...I will share my knowledge about dumpster diving for this week's thrifty tip. (Not that I've participated in this act at all...ahem...OK...moving right along.)

As the name implies, dumpster diving (known as “skip diving" in many parts of the world) is the process of scavenging trash (not always in dumpsters) for useful or valuable items.

In our throw-away society, a growing number of thrifty individuals have perfected the art of "dumpster diving". In turn, their shameless acts have helped them save hundreds in their household budgets and rid the landfills of "useful" objects. (If you are even remotely curious just type in "dumpster diving" into youtube.com and you'll see tons of first-hand video.)

If you are interested in trying "dumpster diving" I recommend that you know your local laws. In many if not most jurisdictions, trash is not considered private property, so dumpster divers cannot be charged with theft. However, some cities have ordinances prohibiting scavenging trash. Take time to research the laws in your area or contact your local police department to enquire about the legality of diving practices.

So, you may be asking yourself..."dumpster diving"...are you kidding me? Do you really "find" anything of value?

Over the years, we have "scored" lots of valuable "trash" including: a wagon, kid's Radio Flyer wheel barrow, flower pots, a garden hose, and numerous construction materials including: 2 x 4's, full sheets of plywood, shingles, hinges and pressure treated boards.

From the construction materials we have been able to build the kid's tree house for the mere cost of hardware and a used slide (purchased off Craig's List for $5). We are currently in the process of building the chicken coop for our four lovely ladies with "dumpster diving" materials. Using these reused "trash finds" not only help us save on building costs, but cut down the waste cluttering our landfills. A win-win situation in my book.

Just this Sunday our family was out scavenging the local neighborhoods. Our city has a Spring Clean-up which allows folks to put out just about anything (excluding chemicals, paints, tires, computer screens, TV's) for the local waste management company with no extra fees. This meant there was lots of garbage piled up for those interested in taking a look.

I'm not going to lie. We took a look. Grabbed lots of valuable wood needed for the chicken coop and I promise...we didn't even have to jump into a dumpster.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Wordless Wednesday

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Summer Entertaining

I couldn't help but smile as I laid out the table clothes and cut fresh lilac to place on the tables...our first summer entertaining gig of the season. What a blessing to have friends fellowship in the comfort of our back yard! It was even sweeter for me with the addition of our new recycled brick patio.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Chicks in the Back Yard

This weekend the chicks got their first taste (literally) of the backyard. I must admit they were so darling exploring the backyard and wandering through the gardens. They found lots of tasty treats including: slug, bugs and worms and even enjoyed a nap in the shade.

Drew also got a chance to start digging the foundation for the chicken coop. The foundation is built completely from 'dumpster diving' material. (Yes...we even are thrifty enough to resort to these...ahem...extreme measures. This is something I possibly will address in one of my upcoming Thursday Thrifty Tip blogs...because I know you are DYING to read about it.)

The site is close to the kid's tree house and should match the kid's area as it is a "playhouse" style chicken coop. (The plans even call for a tiny window box filled with plants...a must have for the Little Blue Bungalow.) We temporally had to move the slide that comes down from the kid's tree house, but our hope is to complete the project quickly. The chicks have grown so much in a week and it won't be long before they need a more permanent home other than my kitchen.

The chicks have become quite restless this week and unfortunately got a bit aggressive. We've done lots of reading about the "pecking order" and we are sure this is what is going on. Unfortunately one of the chicks got hurt badly enough that we had to separate the chicks. Now I have two red tubs full of chicks in the kitchen....never a dull moment here.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Show Us Where You Live: Guest Room

Greetings once again from the Pacific Northwest and welcome to the Little Blue Bungalow. The Britten's: Drew, Katie Jean (that's me!), Fiona and Keegan are pleased you've chosen our blog to stop by for a visit during Kelly's Korner "Show Us Where You Live - Friday".

This week's room, the guest room, was a bit more interesting, the "real deal" for me. Living in 1,100 square feet, you have no choice but to be creative when housing guests. Our first home in Wisconsin gave us the opportunity to easily house guests, but now our hospitality makes up for the lacking space in the Little Blue Bungalow.

Over the four years of ownership, we have housed guests in our tent, on the floor in sleeping bags, the couch, blow-up mattress in the kitchen, our daughter's twin bed, and more recently our son's full size bed. The maximum guests staying at our home was four last Thanksgiving, making it a total of eight including the Little Blue Bungalow crew. (Not bad for a house 1,100 square feet if I do say so myself!)

Each room in our house has multiple purposes. My son's room serves as a little boy's room for nearly 357 days of the year, but the other days currently acts as our guest room. When creating his "big boy" room we intentionally gave him a full-size antique bed that could serve as guest bed. In order to save on space in storing extra bedding, mainly the pillows, I added monkey pillow shams (not shown in picture) which add a bit of depth to his room and "store" the guest pillows. In addition, we house some of the larger toys in his sister's room to cut down on the amount of clutter and mobility in the room for guests.

We hope you enjoyed your quick glimpse into the Little Blue Bungalow. Feel free to come back often and follow the daily happenings of the Britten's through my own personal, witty writing style at Little Blue Bungalow.

If you enjoyed this guest room tour, please make sure to stop by Kelly's blog (click HERE) and visit other blogs participating in the "Show Us Where You Live - Friday".

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Table Talk

Drew: "I am sorry Keegan you have to eat your pie BEFORE you can have cake."

Are you serious? He was correct in saying this, but it just sounded so ridiculous that I had to share.

For dinner I had made a pot pie with a left-over elk roast and vegetables. So...I guess in reality you can have cake and pie for dinner.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Thursday Thrifty Tip: Home Owner's/Car Insurance

Remember those commercials when a random person comes out of the "scene" and says, "Hey, I just saved ... on my car insurance!" Well, I feel like announcing to you all, the blogging world, that I just "saved $4.73/month on my car insurance".

(Echo. Echo.) OK, most of you are thinking..."seriously you are switching car insurance for $4.73/month?" Listen...I didn't say I was thrifty and frugal for nothing. Every dollar and penny is valued in our home even if is less than $5.

But the real value is that because I'm switching my car insurance to my home owner's insurance I reap a discount...15% on my home insurance. Together I will be saving $112.50 a year on my two policies. (Now that is starting to add up!)

Being thrifty is a daily duty for me, not just something that is an afterthought. Every decision affects our household budget whether it is simply leaving a light on to more complex concepts like changing insurance policies. We make our money work for us...inside of thinking what we could do if we made more.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Wordless Wednesday

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean