Easy Outdoor Updates

Last week I spent a lot of time talking about simplifying.  Mostly, that had to do with simplifying all of the stuff piling up and so I had started a great purge of my closet.  Living more simply though definitely translates into other areas of your life.  Getting rid of the useless things is part of it but it also means being intentional of how you live.  Not doing things just to do them, not taking on too many busy projects and enjoying the people God has put in your life.  A better life focus, if you will.  We are inundated with the constant desire for more, or are surrounded with the push of consumerism - when really we already have way too much.  So today its about using what you have, making something of it and making it usable.

This plant stand on our patio was by all means trash, rusted, peeling, and old.  Probably something I needed to throw away. But instead, I decided to shine it up a bit and use what I had. 

It took some scraping, cleaning and a little spray paint and it was looking just as good as new.  There is something really satisfying about taking a piece of junk and making it pretty again.  And this was not a fancy project, but a simple one that made a huge difference in how it looked.  

We also spent some time before Justin's surgery to utilize the flower bed next to our house to plant some veggies and herbs.  I don't have a before picture, but this space was so overgrown, neglected, and terrible looking.  But with some effort we were able to clean it out and make it into something usable.  Another completely satisfying project and something that felt like it was worth the time and effort.

The best part about the little garden, in my opinion, is the time Silas and I can spend taking care of it.  He loves going out to water, clean out a few weeds, and watch it all grow.  

Take some time to look around and find something useful out of something that may be old and overlooked!  Sometimes its just the simple things.