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The Story of Our YB Dog Park
We don’t have gates on our property, and our fences are not designed to contain dogs, creating the perfect escape opportunity for our quick-witted pups. After a few nerve-wracking episodes and frantic chases down the street, we decided to build the YB Dog Park! For YB Dog Park, we custom-built a spacious wooden dog house with a metal roof to match our home’s style. The house sits atop thick rubber mats for comfort and durability, and shaded for warmer days. The rest of the park was prepped by digging out space, laying road base for leveling, and then covering it with thick, lush green turf. Initially, grass didn’t hold up…
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“Three’s a crowd?” – Not with Goldendoodles!
Have you heard of the ‘never say never’ adage? Well, it turns out, Dusty and I are firm believers in it! We vowed after our Lab and German Shepherd that we’d never have another inside dog. Enter Teddie, our Goldendoodle, and we couldn’t resist. We thought that was it, our indoor dog clan was complete—no more! But Teddie stole our hearts, her non-shedding, her interactions, her temperament, everything. Fast forward 15 months, we expanded our dog family by two more! Our love for the breed led us to decide to breed Goldendoodles. Thus we welcomed Yoshi in Spring 2023, a male F2b Goldendoodle with an unmatched temperament and endless energy.…
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Creating a Functional Living Space
When it came to designing and decorating our new house, we had specific visions: an open concept and abundant natural light. Distinctive features accentuating this living space include the buffet table positioned behind the couch, a custom kennel cover, and the budget-friendly curtains I crafted myself. The buffet table, a treasured gift from my parents, underwent a revamp. Its aged yet charming imperfections inspired me to refinish it. I sanded it down to its natural wood, which, although beautiful, didn’t align with my style. Opting for spray paint—a personal preference for its even finish—I coated it in basic white, courtesy of Lowes. A couple of coats later, it found its…
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Room by Room Cleaning Checklist
Cleaning your house can feel overwhelming, with numerous areas to tidy and organize. Even as a cleaning and organizing enthusiast, I find myself grappling with the sheer volume of tasks. While I thrive on tidying and organizing, I also relish creating lists to streamline my thoughts and to-dos. Here’s an exhaustive room-by-room cleaning checklist that can be tackled as a one-time deep clean or spread over weeks or months for a ‘spring cleaning’ project—tailored to suit your preferences. With our imminent move to a new house, this checklist ensures I cover all bases and leave no area overlooked. YB living and more Cleaning Checklist Printable Version
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Farmhouse Storage Barn
Our storage barn, constructed by Faithful Structures, stands as a source of immense pride. Having previously obtained our Cow Barn from the same company, their exceptional service—being ahead of schedule and delivering superb work—made this structure a standout, currently my favorite on the property. Customizing its aesthetics was a joy, from the transom windows above the doors to configuring the windows and electrical setup precisely to our needs. With two lofts incorporated, our 12 X 16 barn efficiently organizes our storage. Faithful Structures offered the best value among several options we explored. Transitioning from a suburban home with garage and attic space, we initially questioned having enough storage in our…
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Spruce Up Your Barn
Elevate your barn’s functionality and aesthetics to suit your needs effectively. I prioritize both aspects, and here are the essentials that perfectly match our requirements. To store hay efficiently, we aimed to avoid ground contact to deter pests like snakes and mice. Opting for plastic pallets from Amazon solved this. Their durability, sizable capacity (34 bales total pictured), and sleek black style perfectly fit our needs. Magnetic hooks, also sourced from Amazon, helped maintain a clutter-free barn. These flexible and sturdy hooks keep various tools and essentials organized, from feed trash can lids to cow halters. Installing individual gates for each stall was crucial for future use, especially when expecting…
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Simple but Perfect – Cow Barn
Shelter and storage are essential, and our cow barn stands as a testament to that necessity. It’s simple yet perfect for our needs, and I’m thrilled with the outcome—thanks to the incredible work by Faithful Structures. Our journey with Faithful Structures began when we stumbled upon their buildings by the highway. Despite not being on-site, their immediate phone response and subsequent meeting left a lasting impression. Kaylee guided us expertly through the process, aligning our vision for a barn spacious enough for our Highland Cattle and their essentials. Surpassing expectations, Faithful Structures completed the barn ahead of schedule. The installation was seamless, with the installers providing an insightful tour and…
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From shedding to none – Our Goldendoodle Teddie
Transitioning from a German Shepherd mix and a Purebred Lab to our latest addition, Teddie, our Goldendoodle puppy, marks a significant change in our canine companions. For anyone obsessed with a clean and organized space, managing a large shedding dog poses challenges. Despite loving dogs, maintaining an immaculate space with our previous dogs, Kenickie and Ranger, proved daunting. Kenickie, a loyal German Shepherd/Lab mix, lacks an affinity for cattle and sheds excessively. Meanwhile, Ranger, our purebred yellow Lab, embodies the ideal ranch hand sidekick but contributes to the shedding woes. Preferring inside companionship for our dogs, combating the incessant shedding became a persistent struggle. Despite trying various grooming methods and…
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DIY Farmhouse Address Sign For Your Porch
Creating an inviting first impression starts at your front porch—the face of your home. A well-designed front porch, including its decor and address display, sets the tone for your entire residence. After exploring various ideas, we opted for a striking leaning Farmhouse address sign measuring 42”x11” to ensure visibility from the street. Our process involved cutting and sanding the wood to our desired size and texture before applying paint and a protective clear coat. Simultaneously, we measured and cut corrugated metal to fit our design. Though our metal was reclaimed and slightly soiled, a simple soap and water wash prepared it for vinyl application. We utilized nails matching the metal’s…
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Easy DIY Outdoor Patio Chairs
Seeking to craft durable, user-friendly patio furniture? This step-by-step guide outlines the construction process for our customized patio furniture, based on modified plans from Ana-White.com, tailored to our comfort and preferences. Designing our forever home included envisioning a relaxing patio with scenic views of pastures, cows, and our children playing. However, upon scouting for a suitable patio set, the exorbitant prices astounded me. Yet, after showing my husband the desired set, his response was a confident ‘I can do that.’ So, we scoured and found this exceptional set. Crafted from 2x4s and 2x6s, this furniture is beginner-friendly—ideal for those with limited woodworking expertise like us. Starting from scratch meant acquiring…
