Mapping out my Weekend Adventure
Quarantine weekend adventure!
Pretty excited to share big travel plans. I know we are not supposed to travel much due to the Coronavirus pandemic. But I can’t resist the temptation to venture off the beaten path this weekend. So I have been mapping out my weekend adventure.
Happy to announce we are going on the biggest adventure possible. This weekend we are adding a fifth stop to our already extreme travel routine.
It’s already been such an exciting week. Our amazing adventures this week have taken us from the Bedroom all the way to the Bathroom. Followed by a long traverse of the terrain from there to the far away land called the Kitchen.
From this distant land of Kitchen if you are lucky enough you can see the next destination off in the distance. Through the breaks in the clouds you can often catch glimpses of the normal final destination called Living Room Land.
Due to all the cloud cover you need to keep your compass handy. As navigating through this rough terrain without the sun to guide your way will cause even the most experienced travelers to easily get lost.
The long trip to Living Room Land is worth the dangers to get there
Once completing your journey to Living Room Land with the aid of your compass you can finally rest. Here you can rest your weary legs and enjoy sprawling out on the natural occurring formations that are quite comfortable throughout Living Room Land.
These formations are scattered throughout Living Room Land and face the amazing magicians portal. This portal allows you to see everything going on outside of your realm called “Home”. It’s quite amazing! Hopefully you to will be able to experience the comfortable luxury and magicians portal found in Living Room Land as well. Study the map below to find out how to get there your self. It is well worth the journey!
Generally Living Room Land is the final destination as where else can you be as comfortable and entertained as you can be there?
But this weekend we are going on a great adventure to a little known area called the Lanai. We first heard rumors of this even further away land years ago. But just recently heard about it again! And the rumors, myths and legends appear to be true!
If you haven’t already heard about this far off distant land of Lanai, you might of heard someone call it by one of its other many mystical names. Land of Lanai is often spoken of in other realms as “Back Porch Land”.
Lanai Land is full of dangers!
This mythical area of Lanai or as some call it Back Porch Land can only be traveled to when the weather and circumstances cooperate perfectly. Otherwise the long arduous journey will be all for not. As you will have to quickly flee the land due to inclement weather like extreme cold, heat, excessive rain, or even the dreaded wind.
In the very worst case scenario you may have to flee this land due to dangerous beasts known as Mosquitos! Most of the stories we heard about Lanai Land or as some call it Back Porch Land tells of a magical barrier that repels these dangerous beasts. But some of these magical barriers were never cast, or were damaged by the scary creatures called children. If that is the case there is nothing stopping the mosquitoes from coming into the land and carrying you off to their lair where you will never be seen again!
Although mosquitoes are the worst possible welcome you can receive once arriving in Lanai Land. There are other terrifying possibilities you must also be prepared for.
One such story came to us recently through the magicians portal. A story so vial I dare not repeat it all. This story spoke of something so scary it keeps me up at night thinking about how terrible it is!
What could give you worse nightmares than mosquitoes you ask? Two simple words that when uttered together will send chills down your spine too. Those words are “loud neighbors”. And if you are unfortunate enough you may even encounter their loud obnoxious dog! These things can be so repulsive that they can make you flee this land and make you want to never return! So you must plan your trip very well and be prepared for anything.
Hopefully our weekend adventure goes well
Once we find this lost Land of Lanai I will report our findings. Hopefully mapping out my weekend adventure with the chart below will be enough for us to all safely arrive in Lanai. Not entirely sure what we will find on arrival. But I hope it is even more amazing than Living Room Land. Given the extreme distance that is needed to arrive there it must be even more spectacular than Living Room Land. Or dare I say may be even better than Bedroom Land!
I guess the only way we will find out is if we make the journey. If you don’t hear back from me by the second rising sun after the weekend please send a search party. However take into consideration the perils that lay ahead, so I beg of you please only choose those brave and strong enough for the grueling journey before you.
Happy St Patrick’s Day!
Happy St Patrick’s Day!
St Patrick’s Day 2020 is the year of the holiday for being alone, social distancing, and ultimately drinking alone due to the corona virus, so here is a St Patrick’s Day saying to get you through!
May Your Pantry Be Full
And
May Your Internet Be Steady
And
May Finding Toilet Paper
Be Easy As Sitting!
Happy St Patrick’s Day, hopefully you can celebrate a little with one or two friends or family. If not pour yourself a drink and make the most of it.
Stay safe and may everyone have a little Irish luck carry us through the next few months!
Due to Corona Virus Everything is Closed, Postponed, or Canceled!
Due to Corona Virus everything is closed, postponed, or canceled
When we told our toddler about everything that has become closed, postponed, or canceled due to the coronavirus she was NOT impressed. You can see her reactions in the video below.
Toddler visits Benders Animal EDventures Park petting zoo in Florida
Benders Animal EDventures Park
When your animal loving toddler goes to the petting zoo she is in heaven! There are a few things that our little girl just loves. Animals are absolutely on the top of that list. So taking her to see all of the animals at Benders Animal EDventures Park she was non stop exploring everywhere. Running around to every type of animal possible to give them hugs and pet them.
Caution:
This video contains excessive cuteness. Viewing this video may cause your heart to flutter or in extreme cases explode.
The Kangaroo Encounter
Our daughter Adley enjoyed the kangaroo encounter and being able to pet the baby kangaroos. Although I don’t think she actually understood the rarity of the possibility to pet kangaroos. Especially in Florida or really in the entire USA for that matter She did really did enjoy it. I think when she gets older she will understand the significance of being able to do it more. But for now she is just as happy with being able to pet and hug just about any animal.
At the Animal EDventures Park your fee covers the cost to do the kangaroo experience. They do scheduled shows to allow groups to interact with the kangaroos. And for an extra fee you can pay to even hold them. Aldey being close to her nap time was starting to get cranky so we passed on adding that on. Next time we go we will probably have her try holding one. It will probably be better with her being a little older to do it as well.
After a overview of the kangaroos and how to approach them and pet them the group in that encounter are free to interact with them while the staff oversees everyone for safety. It was quite an unexpected perk of this animal encounter petting zoo. This is one reason we will for sure be visiting Benders Animal EDventure again soon!
Benders Animal EDventures Park is a great fun family thing to do in South Florida.
Goat pen at Benders Animal Adventure Park / petting zoo
Since there are free reigning goats within the pen and lots of them Adley seemed to like that area the best. She could go from animal to animal giving them pat pats and petting them with a huge smile on her face. Being 21 months old during this visit she is still learning about all of these animals so it was a great introduction for her.
The goats are standing and more active before they get fed. Afterwards the goats tend to lay down to rest. Since goats do poop a lot, there are staff on hand with brooms and dust pans to scoop up all of the droppings. So there is not much worry of stepping in something you will regret. Or worse having your kid try picking up a new “object” to explore!
Camels, Cows, Sheep, and Ponies at Benders Animal Edventure Park
There are camels to view and ponies to ride at Benders Animal EDventure Park as well. This trip we said hi to the camels but didn’t go on any of the pony rides as our time was limited. But next time we will take Adley on a pony ride as she loves horses and horse back riding.
Sheep are found along the fence and you can pet and feed them.
In the goat pen a donkey also roams around for everyone to interact with and pet as well.
Otters, Birds, Sloths, Anteaters, and more!
Some of the other animals you can do an encounter with are Otters. You can go into the otter pen and play with young otters while they swim and run around. There are numerous birds in the bird cages. And a row of exotic animals in one area such as anteaters, sloths, and more.
There are all kinds of animals for kids to see and hear interesting facts about. The staff and family that run the Animal EDventure Park area are great with kids and taking the time to explain as much as possible about every type of animal.
Farmers Market
While there don’t forget to checkout the farmers market! Great little store with fresh produce, and unique items throughout the store.
1 year old kid spikes home phone into dogs water bowl on Super Bowl Sunday
Our one year old really got into the Super Bowl spirit!
When your one year old gets into the Super Bowl spirit and your kid spikes the home phone into the dogs water bowl. Acting like she is celebrating after scoring a touchdown… Great way to start out Super Bowl Sunday!
You are in the kitchen getting ready for Super Bowl Sunday when you hear the noise of water splashing. Usually that just means your one year old is playing with the dogs water bowl again… Well when you go to intervene and stop her from making a mess you see a different thing happening. This time your one year old kid is not just playing with the water but has decided to spike the home phone into the dogs water bowl!
Usually when she gets into the dogs water bowl you just have to take her to the sink and wash her hands, then wipe up the spilled water with a towel. But when you see an electronic device in the water bowl priorities change quick!
After realizing that the electronic device is not plugged in and is battery operated you can breath a little sigh of relief. Then once realizing the damage is already done, you might as well just laugh about it. Then take out your phone and snap a few quick pictures before taking it away.
Luckily it was just the home phone and not a cell phone that took a swim!
A new home phone is so in expensive compared to a new cell phone so this stunt ends up hurting the wallet a lot less than what is could have been!
Through quick actions we were also able to save the home phone and it still works. We quickly took the phone from our little one and removed the batteries. Then layed it down in a way any water would drain away from the electronics.
Luckily this phone some how floats!
When the phone was spiked into the dogs water bowl the phone actually floats! So the water didn’t get into every little area, very little actually got inside. And most of what got in was just in the battery compartment. So that area was easily drained and cleaned up.
Not often your kid is the one that scores the first touchdown of Super Bowl Sunday!
Our Wireless Doorbells Sitting on Their Chargers
Dogs are the best wireless doorbells
At our house you can usually find our wireless doorbells sitting on their chargers waiting to spring into action. Even before someone is able to reach our front door our wireless doorbells are already sounding their arrival.
Then if the person rings the wired doorbell button near the front door the wireless doorbells will go into over drive. There is no mistaking that someone is at the front door.
Our little dogs certainly think they are bigger than they really are. They also sound much larger than they really are as well. Most people expect to see much larger dogs once the door is opened. But instead find two fairly small west highland terriers with voices that mimic a much larger boxers bark.
About West Highland Terriers
West highland terriers or “Westies” for short are very alert and active dogs. They are very self reliant and confident dogs. Westies are very faithful dogs with great intelligence which makes them amazing problem solvers and you can train them to do all kinds of tricks.
Training them however can sometimes be difficult because of how self reliant they are so they can also be stubborn. But with time and practice they can be trained through their love of treats as a reward.
Westies are also loving dogs, along with very protective. So they are great dogs to help guard the house. Even though they are only 26 pounds they sound much larger. They have huge personalities that go along with how big they think they are.
The only thing larger than their personality is their heart.
The only thing larger than their personality is their heart. Westies are amazingly loving dogs that love to snuggle, play, and just love being everywhere you are. Its amazing how well they get along with kids but they do need to be taught boundaries first around kids. Our daughter loves to play with them, giving them hugs and kisses and petting them. She often also likes to try and dress them up in funny clothes and they just go along with it.
Westies being a terrier breed were bred to help control rodent populations around farms in the highlands of Scotland. So these dogs are always on the hunt. When they are outside they will go after anything that moves. Our two westies will go after iguanas, all kinds of lizards, raccoons, possums, birds, butterflies, other insects, and even try to get at fish and turtles in the water behind our house.
Our two wireless doorbells are named Oliver and Scooter
We have two dogs named Oliver and Scooter. Both are West Highland Terriers or Westies. And both are full of personality.
The older of the two dogs is named Scooter. He is by far the most vocal and by far the most stubborn of the two. But he is also the best snuggler. Scooter loves curling up next to you on the couch or on the bed.
Oliver is the younger of the two and he is the most obedient of the two. Along with being the smartest. He knows dozens of tricks and teaching him a new trick doesn’t take long as he loves a challenge. Even though Scooter is the better snuggler. Oliver loves to snuggle too but also likes to be by himself a lot as well. So he can watch out the window for new things to chase. While scooter only wants to be next to others whenever possible.
Both are exceptional hunters catching all kinds of animals in our back yard especially the lizards that run around. Oliver the younger of the two however spends at least four times as much time outside as Scooter does. You can see how his ears and skin is darker from being out in the sun more than Scooter. Oliver just loves watching all the animals in and around the waterway behind our house.
Next time someone visits our house they will get our wireless doorbells sitting on their chargers up and to work announcing the visitors arrival.
Falling iguanas forecasted tonight into tomorrow for South Florida
Winter in South Florida
Every once in a while it gets cold enough in South Florida for everyone to feel frozen. People in South Florida have a hard time tolerating the cold. But Iguanas really feel it and end up falling out of trees! Falling iguanas forecasted for Florida tonight into tomorrow.
Iguanas being cold blooded do not tolerate the cold very well. So when the temps dip into the 30’s and 40’s (Fahrenheit) they become very sluggish to the point where they can hardly move. As their body cools they also find it more difficult to hold onto things. So with the approaching cold front falling iguanas are forecasted tonight into tomorrow for South Florida.
Extreme wind Chill along with cold temps
When I say extreme It is only meant for the region. In Florida people do not tolerate cold weather very well even if it only lasts for a few days. But in Florida residents defense, many homes in Florida do not have heaters. Along with most residents do not own many, if any cold weather clothes.
So when temps in the 30’s and 40’s hit along with high winds of 20 to 30 knots with wind gusts upto 40 knots. The people and animals are not always ready for it.
Wind chill temps are forecast to be in the mid 20’s to mid 30’s.
With wind chill temps in the mid 20s to mid 30s I predict a lot of bundled up Floridians! But again many including me will still be wearing flip flops. Although I think tomorrow I will wear pants instead of shorts!
Get your shovels ready for the iguana blizzard
With temps this cold and gale force winds over 40 knots creating the wind chills in the 20’s and 30’s. Iguanas will be falling to the ground. So get your shovels ready to dig out of the coming iguana blizzard!
I think with winds this high we might see some iguana drifts happen along low lying areas and along buildings. So be prepared!
Toddler in Target Takes On Fashion
Toddler in Target sees a hat that she just can’t live without
Our toddler was shopping with Mommy BS during a Target run. She sees a hat that she just can’t live without. And total cuteness ensues! This toddler in Target Takes On Fashion!
These special moments are what make being a parent so amazing!
Video of our little girl trying on a hat that she picked out herself at Target is below.
These special moments are what make being a parent so amazing
You take a completely normal trip to Target to get a few needed items. Along with finding yourself getting a few items you really don’t need. As it is TARGET after all! Really, who can go into Target and get only what they need?
And you leave with a memory that will last a life time.
These types of moments are something that simply puts a smile on your face. And if you are fortunate to actually get a video of a moment like this. When you re watch the video over and over it seems to get better and better every time you watch when our toddler in Target takes on fashion.
Is there anything more pure than this little 2 year old girls smile with her new hat on?
These special moments truly are what make being a parent so amazing. It is incredible to think that your happiness is so connected to another persons, but it is.
When you really think about it you are happier when your kids are happy. When family members kids are happy. Or your friends kids are happy. And even when strangers kids are happy.
Have you ever seen a little kid smile a huge smile and not just simply smile back?
Even if you have never seen that little kid before and they give you a huge smile. It’s impossible not to smile back. Those types of smiles are just contagious!
We hope in sharing this video our precious little 2 year old girl can help spread smiles around to everyone!
If our little toddler puts a smile on your face. Please share your smile with someone near you too. Let’s keep spreading the contagious smiles to everyone!
For a Working Mom Saturday is the BEST day!
Being a working Mom, Saturday is my FAVORITE DAY!
Saturday is definitely the best day of the week in my book. I get to wake up naturally without the alarm clock screaming at me, though I still wake up by 5:30 am. Just knowing that I am not battling with the snooze button already puts me in such a good mood.
The weekends are especially special to me because as a working mom I am out of the house by 6:30am most days and I never have the ability to physically see my baby girl. Getting a glimpse of her on the monitor breaks my heart each morning.
But that was not the case today. Mommy for the win! As I walked in my little one’s room she was pretend playing with her horses and I could hear her attempting to count to five. Most times she is successful, then other times she says 1, 2, 5. I just love this age!
After I changed her diaper and had our morning WWE wrestling match brushing her teeth. I turned her loose. Normally she runs into our bedroom, thinking she is very sneaky, saying “shhhh” then screaming when she sees my husband in bed. But that wasn’t the plan today.
SHE Decided to do something completely different
Instead one of her pups jumped into the rocking chair while I was changing her. After placing her on the floor, aka launch pad. I went back into our bedroom to wash her tooth brush figuring she was not far behind. There was no “shhhhing” being said nor stomping of little feet on the wood floors. I thought it was odd. So I went back into her bedroom and this is what I saw.
She had crawled up onto the rocking chair to be next to our dog Oliver. She wanted to have her morning snuggles with him. As she sat next to Oliver she gave him kisses, hugs and several pat pats.
This is just one of many reasons why Saturdays are the best for me. What is your favorite day of the week and why?
For a working Mom Saturday is the BEST day!
2020 still feels like it’s in 20 years!
It is crazy to think it’s the year 2020
I still remember the Y2K scare leading up to the year 2000. Can still remember everyone saying let’s party like its 1999. Which I never fully understood because it was 1999 when they were saying it… That is up until midnight obviously. But either way that saying never made sense. And it also makes no sense that the year 2020 still feels like it’s in 20 years!
Not sure what the saying is this year for the New Years parties but it’s just still so strange for me to think of how when I think back 20 years ago it still feels like that was in 1980.
Year 2020 was 20 years ago. Which is weird because 1980 still feels like it was also 20 years ago. And 2020 still feels like it is in 20 years.
Still trying to get over the thought that 2020 is here. Still trying to figure out how time flew so fast. And still trying to figure out why in the world 2020 still feels like it’s in 20 years!
If I figure all of those things out I’ll let you know… Most likely that will be in another 20 years when I might have the answers, so don’t hold your breath! If you have any ideas or thoughts on that leave a comment below.
It is crazy to think of all of the things that have changed in 20 years. All of the new technology. All of the new products available. How easy it is to buy the things you want. How easy it is to search online to find almost anything you might want to know, learn, or see. How watching TV has changed, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Disney Plus and more.
20 years ago I don’t think I could of imagined all of these things. Probably because I was promised flying cars by 2020 and that was mainly what I was waiting for.
Looking forward to all of the advances in technology to come in the next 20 years. And looking forward to finally getting that flying car in 20 years. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for that one!
I hope everyone has a Happy, Healthy, and prosperous New Year!
How to prevent toddlers from opening presents early
Adley is beyond excited we received a package from Grandma and Grandpa.
However, whatever presents are in the box will stay in there until Christmas morning to prevent our little munchkin from more early present openings! We learned a few more lessons. This time on how to prevent toddlers from opening presents early.
Even though we received a package from grandpa and grandma everything will stay in the box until Christmas morning.
For now she is having fun pealing all the stamps and stickers off the box. Standing on the box. Pushing the box around the house. Using the box to reach places she shouldn’t by standing on it near the counters. Laying on the box. And of course trying to open the box.
Our little curious toddler got into more presents as well from her Aunt!
After she got into the first present that she was not supposed to, we did’t quite learn our lesson yet. So when we got a package in the mail from Adley’s Aunt we thought we could open the box and place the presents under the tree.
We thought if we put the presents far enough behind the tree she wouldn’t be able to reach them. Since Christmas presents under the tree looks nice and helps complete the Christmas look it all seemed like a great idea.
Well, the very next morning this is what happened.
First I was laughing at her playing with the rubber kitchen strainer that collapses flat. She was taking it and stretching it out over her head like a hat, then running around. It was hilarious and beyond cute.
Then I go into the other room for a few minutes (How all toddler disasters seem to happen) to clean the dishes from breakfast.
A few minutes later I come back into the other room to see our little toddler ripping open another present! Still not sure how exactly she got it from behind the tree so quickly without knocking anything off the tree. But she did!
Our little toddler bagged another present
She was successful in apprehending another gift from under the tree and liberating it from its paper confinement.
It is just amazing how fast toddlers can do things they are not supposed to. It’s frustrating yet hilarious at the same time. As long as its something harmless like an early gift opening.
More toddler early present openings and more toddler mischief!
After she opened one gift from her aunt I thought well I will just keep a closer eye on her and there is no way she can reach anymore of them… Go ahead and laugh at me if you want, I’m certainly laughing at myself for thinking that!
Later that morning I change her out of her PJs and start getting into the days activities. After a fun filled morning and early afternoon I feed her lunch and then put her down for a nap.
I get her up from her nap, take her downstairs. Then prepare some food for her as she is always hungry after her nap.
Still not certain how she found the time. As she was in and out of the kitchen playing. She would watch what I was doing and come up to me and give me the sweetest hugs and kisses. Then run around again with her stuffed horses making horse neighing noises. So figured she was occupied and busy.
But when I had her food ready and brought it to her. That’s when I found I was wrong yet again! She had another present and was opening that one too!
Still can’t figure out how she got it from behind the tree. Then started unwrapping it in such a short amount of time. But as if by magic she did!
Toddlers have some sort of mystical powers in that they are able to do things in a amount of time you never thought possible!
Here she is getting into yet another present early…
We learned the hard way that a toddler just can’t stay away from presents for long!
So the trick we have learned as mentioned above is to leave the presents in the shipping box. This way she can’t open any presents early again. As the shipping packaging acts like Fort Knox for toddlers, keeping all of its contents safe from their curiosity.
This post link is about the first time our toddler got into some of the presents early https://mommybs.com/when-your-toddler-cant-wait-to-open-presents/
How to prevent toddlers from opening presents early
Hopefully leaving the gifts inside of the shipping packaging will indeed solve this issue. It doesn’t look as Christmas like leading up to Christmas morning seeing brown boxes under the tree. But having all of the presents already opened before Christmas is even less Christmas like!
If you have any tips on how to prevent toddlers from opening presents early please leave a comment below or send us a message. The only other way we figured out how to prevent this is pretty obvious in just hiding them. But that just doesn’t bring the element of a Christmas look under the tree. So let us know your ideas, tricks, or tips how to prevent toddlers from opening presents early.
And we hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
Setting up Outdoor Christmas Lights on the House
Setting Up Outdoor Christmas Lights on the House.
Time Lapse Video of setting up Outdoor Christmas Lights on our house. It has become a wonderful tradition to decorate our house as much as possible. Read more on just how that started further down the post.
Below is the Time Lapse Video of setting up the Outdoor Christmas Lights on our house.
Christmas is one of the most magical times of the year.
It is wonderful sharing the Christmas Joy with those we love. Everyone from family, friends, neighbors, and even people just passing by.
Thanks for watching and have a Merry Christmas!
Below are pictures of the Christmas Light Decorations after the 5 hour process of setting up all of the outdoor Christmas Lights on the house.
All of the Christmas Lights that were used on the house
A lot of people were asking what lights were used and which type of Christmas Light Decorations were put on various areas of the house. So below is a breakdown of all the types of Christmas lights that were used to decorate the house and where they were put up.
The Abominable Snowman wire frame light up outdoor yard Christmas Decoration
My favorite Christmas Decoration by far is the Abominable Snowman. Once I saw this I knew I had to get it. Not sure if any Christmas Yard Decoration can rival this one. But, if you know of one I want to hear about it! If you do please, please, send a message on our Contact Page, by clicking this link , or comment below and let me know about it!
This was one of the first things I bought for our outdoor Christmas decorations for the first Christmas and holiday season in our new house.
First year in our new house was one of the most special, but also one of the most difficult
What made getting all kinds of Christmas Decorations even more important. Was the year that we bought and moved into our new house. Was also one of the busiest years I’ve ever had for work.
Most people complain about working too much. But most don’t know how bad it can really be. For anyone that thinks they work too much I’ll put my work schedule and sea time log books up against anyones work schedule. I’m sure there are a few people out there that surpass it. And if they can I feel for them!
Now I know I am very fortunate that I get to do what I love working as a yacht captain. But this also often makes it very difficult to have a normal life.
The first year in our new house I missed every holiday, birthday, anniversary, and almost every weekend
The year we bought and moved into our house I missed every major holiday… And I mean EVERY holiday, milstones, and life events.
1. I was gone for New Years Day to start the year off.
2. Missed the Martin Luther King Holiday day and that entire holiday weekend.
3. Missed out on Saint Patrick’s Day as I was traveling.
4. Gone for our wedding anniversary.
5. Was gone for Good Friday.
6. Gone for Easter.
7. Away during Memorial Day Weekend.
8. Gone for 4th of July weekend.
9. Missed my wifes birthday as I was on yet another trip.
10. Traveling during Labor Day weekend.
11. Worked on Halloween.
12. Missed celebrating my own birthday.
13. Gone for Veterans Day.
14. And worst yet was gone the entire Thanksgiving week and weekend traveling for work.
15. To top it off was going to be gone for Christmas and New Years!
I could tell after missing every holiday and life event the final straw was missing Christmas…
After missing so many holidays, birthdays, weddings, anniversary’s, countless weekends, and when home was working crazy long hours of 12 to 16 hour days. I knew I had to do something special for Christmas.
So I started to buy Christmas lights on my way home every evening that I was able to come home. I started this a few days after Thanksgiving weekend up until I left on another long trip before Christmas.
Every evening that I was home I would eat dinner. Spend much needed time with my wife. Then get outside decorating for a half hour to an hour. Trying to just do a little at a time when I could manage to fit it in.
After a few days of not being able to add to it due to getting home after midnight or just due to being away traveling for work. I was finally able to find a few extra minutes again. So late at night on the way home I would buy a few more Christmas lights and work on setting up outdoor Christmas lights on the house some more.
During the holiday season I worked for over 3 months straight without a day off… When I hear people complain about working too much I usually ask if they have weekends or any week days off every week. Almost everyone says yeah but maybe they had to work an extra day or two for one or two weeks…
Well try doing that for 3 months straight. Then have one single day off which you spend with your wife picking out a dinning room set. Next day going straight back to working another 3 month stretch of 12 to 16 hour days without a day off once again.
The Start of so many Christmas Decorations
After coming home and adding to the Christmas Decorations when I could. And doing it as much as possible leading up to my eventual departure on yet another yacht trip. The amount of lights accumulated around the house and front yard started to gain attention from neighbors.
I explained over and over to on lookers how I missed so many holidays, anniversary’s, birthdays, etc. So to try to bring a little joy to my wife while I would be gone yet again. I was doing as much as I could to keep the Christmas Spirit alive.
That is how the ridiculous amount of Christmas Decorations started
Setting up all of these outdoor Christmas decorations started by trying in some way to bring joy and cheerfulness to my wife… Even if only a tinny bit while I was gone yet again.
After that years brutal work schedule I could of said I’ll take some time off from setting up so many Christmas Lights. But now setting up all of these Christmas Lights around the house and front yard has become a tradition. A tradition that helps me remember how lucky I am for every day I get to spend with my family, friends, especially my beautiful wife and incredible daughter.
Spending the holidays with the ones you love is wonderful, but we also need to remember how wonderful it is to get to spend time with our loved ones between those holidays as well.
It’s not always the Quantity of time together but more Importantly it’s the Quality of time together
Although that year was brutal for work and I worked far to much. It helped me realize yes holidays are great to spend with loved ones. But sometimes we have to remember every regular day together is also a wonderful gift that we must enjoy as much as possible too.
Looking back years ago now. Even though I worked 3 month stretches with only 1 day off during that first year in our new house together. The one day off I did have I remember to this day exactly what I was doing with my wife. Even though it was not a traditional special day due to it being a special holiday, anniversary, or birthday celebration. I still remember it being a special day because it was a day I was able to spend with someone I love so much.
You see, all of these Christmas Lights set up all over the place are not just for celebrating Christmas. But also for celebrating every day leading up to Christmas. Everyday that you get to spend with those that are closest to you. Your friends, your family, and your most cherished loved ones. Celebrate a little every day, because every day there is a lot to celebrate!
Back to the types of Christmas Lights used in various areas of the house
Well now you know a little about why this crazy amount of Christmas lights are hanging on the house, I can get back to which Christmas lights were used on each location of the house.
Home Accents Holiday lights with 25 C9 continuous on LED lights super bright Christmas lights in Blue
The first lights you see in the video setting up outdoor Christmas Lights on the house are the blue lights. These lights go along the roof angles. Along with being used on two of the three palm trees in the front yard. On the palm trees these Christmas lights are used to spiral up the palm tree trunks. And are the Home Accents Holiday lights with 25 C9 continuous on LED lights which are super bright Christmas lights in Blue.
The 25 stands for how many lights are on each string. And the C9 is the type of light bulb which is one of the largest versions offered by Home Accents. To keep from my neighbors happy I like using the continuous on lights. My neighbors say they light the continuous on Christmas lights… The blinking ones they say are not as much fun to have across the street.
To hold the Christmas light strings to the roof angles I use some 3M wall hangers shown below.
3M Command wall hangers are awesome for putting up Christmas lights around the house
These are used on the roof tops along the angles to keep the Christmas lights from sliding down the roof. Even through the entire holiday season they work great through wind and rain.
As I write this just a few days before Christmas these have already been holding up the lights for 21 days. A full three weeks with non of them failing. And in the past few days we have had small craft marine warnings, gale force winds, pretty constant light rain, with some occasional heavy down pours.
Even though the 3M command wall hangers say for indoor use. I they have been out on top of the roof and have been doing great for three weeks so far!
I also use these 3M Command wall hangers to hold up the lights that go around the garage doors.
Just simply stick the hangers to the outside wall above the garage door in three places. One on the left edge of the garage door. One in the middle above the garage door. And one on right side of the garage door.
Then you can use the hook to hang the lights.
Holiday Living 300 ct clear icicle lights, white Christmas Lights
Lights used off the eves of the house are these awesome Holiday Living 300 count clear icicle lights. Which are the white Christmas Lights version.
These lights have been great and have stood up over the years very well with no issues. Highly recommend these icicle Christmas Lights for the price.
Home Accents Holiday indoor / outdoor Candy cane pathway lights with ground stakes and hanging line
Candy Cane Pathway Lights from Home Accents come with ground stakes and hanging lines on the candy canes. This way you can use the lights either on the ground like we did, or hanging.
When you use them on the ground you can insert a ground stake into the bottom of the light. Once the stake is installed you can push the stake end into the ground and they then stand up. We did this around the planters, walkways, side walk, and most of the driveway.
Hanging the candy cane lights is another option. The top of the candy cane lights come with a loop of fishing line that allows you to easily hang them right side up. Since we place ours in the ground I just cut that line off so it doesn’t tangle while setting up or storing them.
Home Accents Holiday Candy Cane LED Rope Christmas Lights come in 40 ft and 20 ft versions
Along the edges of the driveway, sidewalks, walkways, and bordering the planters we also put these awesome rope lights. You can buy these Home Accents Holiday Candy Cane LED Rope Lights in 40 ft and 20 ft versions.
The 20 ft version is actually two ten foot sections put together. and the 40 ft version is four ten foot sections put together. They do this so you can make it the length you need. By unscrewing the securing sleeve. Followed by pulling apart the two connectors. One connector will be a male and the other a female.
Now with the sections apart you can make the total length shorter by removing sections. Or longer by adding sections. It says you can connect them together as far as 144 ft to one outlet since they are LED Christmas Lights.
These Christmas Lights are for sure one of our favorite to really set off the entire display along any borders.
Home Accents Holiday 300 mini continuous on LED net lights in multi color version
These Home Accents Holiday LED net lights make it so quick and easy to cover areas quickly. We use these over our bushes in the front yard and it makes decorating this area with Christmas lights a snap. Each section is 4 ft by 6 ft so they cover a large area.
Main thing I have to do with these net lights though is tie the net light sections together to keep them uniform. When using more than one section of net light its hard to keep the seam even otherwise. So I use a few twist ties to secure them. Three of them work perfectly. I put one on each edge where the corners join and one in the middle of the joint.
Also with these net lights I have to tie the back side of the net light to the fencing behind some of the bushes. This is because these LED Christmas Lights are a little heavy. Which is not a bad thing, it actually just shows how well they are made. However once the net lights are placed on the bushes most of the weight hangs on the front side of the bushes. This causes the bushes to lean towards the walk way and sometimes the net lights fall off.
Our bushes by the three palm trees do not have this issue however as those bushes are much stronger and can support the weight of these Christmas LED net lights without flexing much.
So if you are looking for quick easy ways to add lights quick these Home Accents Holiday 300 mini continuous on LED net lights that are 4 ft by 6 ft are awesome.
GE outdoor 6 outlet yard stake timer is amazing
Dealing with all of these lights you will use a lot of extension cords and light timers. These GE outdoor 6 outlet yard stake timers are simply amazing.
In the past I used a bunch of outdoor timers that had only two outlets. They work and are listed below as something I use. But in areas where you need 6 outlets using just one of these is far easier than using three of the dual outlet timers.
I used four of these 6 outlet yard stake timers for the first time this year. And wow did they streamline the process. Less extension cords need to be run, and fewer total light timers need to be set.
Highly recommend this product!
Prime Heavy Duty 24-Hour Outdoor Timer with two outlets
Dual outlet timers are great for certain areas where you do not need six outlets. Or areas where you are plugging the timer in up high. As these are lighter and can hang from the outlet easier due to the weight and the plug in end being a 90 degree plug end.
While setting up outdoor Christmas Lights on the house these work perfectly for the areas that only two outlets were needed. Generally towards the edges of the house Christmas Lights display. Such as for the lights that follow around the garage door opening. Along with the few blue light strings on the roof.
Now you know some How To tips we use on our Home Christmas Light Decorations
Now that you know some how to tips we have used on our home setting up Christmas lights outside. Get out there too and work on setting up your outdoor Christmas Lights on the house. Let us know what you think about ours, or if you figure out any tips, ticks, or ways how to do it better send us a message at our contact page HERE, or leave a comment below.
Most importantly though remember to enjoy everything about Christmas time. Setting up the Christmas lights. Putting up the Christmas tree. Searching for that perfect gift. Planning holiday parties. And having family get togethers. As they are not just for celebrating Christmas…
But also for celebrating every day leading up to Christmas. Everyday that you get to spend with those that are closest to you. Your friends, your family, and your most cherished loved ones. Celebrate a little every day, because every day there is a lot to celebrate!
I hope everyone not only has a Merry Christmas but also every day leading up to Christmas is almost just as wonderful as well. Merry Christmas!!!
When your Toddler can’t wait to OPEN presents!
When your Toddler Cant Wait to Open Presents
You start out with good intentions. Thinking I will buy presents early, wrap some early, and place a few under the tree. Thinking since I can’t hide all of them especially these big ones. And hey, it looks nice to have some under the tree leading up to Christmas. Well a few minutes too long in the other room and you find out what happens when your Toddler Cant Wait to Open Presents.
First you hear your toddler making odd noises that do not sound right
While in the other room you hear some noise coming from the other room. A noise that is not loud but yet an odd noise that just doesn’t seem right.
Walking into the other room to investigate you find your little one near the Christmas Tree and next to the neatly wrapped presents. Then realize one of those neatly wrapped presents is not so neatly wrapped anymore.
Next you try to get your toddler to stop
Trying to get your toddler to stop doing something they are very focused on is nearly impossible without a negative reaction. Regardless you try anyway by carefully saying with a soothing voice, “Hey sweetie we have to wait to open those.”
Realizing that gets you no where you then say more stern, “Stop opening that present hunny, you need to wait.”
Which quickly escalates to, “Adley, STOP tearing the wrapping paper!”
Now you have a toddler melt down
You now went and upset the little dictator you have running around in your house. And that little one now will show their distaste for your commands by having a mini melt down.
As anyone who has delt with a toddlers wrath knows you have basically poked the bear. Now there is no stopping the steam roller of emotions.
You try several things but in the end you just have to let your toddler cry it out a bit. While maintaining your position and NOT giving in.
As you know they are testing you. Testing if they can turn on the water works to get their way. Testing if they can suddenly get a reprieve and be told it’s ok you can do what they were just yelled at for doing. No matter what happens you know you have to stay strong and not give in.
Once they are a little calmer you try to refocus them onto something else which is never an easy task. Trying all kinds of things to get their mind off what they can’t do.
You soon realize it may not be possible. And realize this may possibly happen every day now leading up to Christmas morning. As this is what will happen every day when your toddler can’t wait to open presents.
So a few minutes later you wonder… Is it to early to start drinking?
UPDATE: The Challenge of keeping your toddler from opening presents early continues!
Our little munchkin is at it again. She just cant help sneaking under the tree for more presents.
She has become a mini Houdini. Magically getting presents and opening them without us knowing until it’s too late! Visit the link below to see the ongoing battle.
https://mommybs.com/how-to-prevent-toddlers-from-opening-presents-early/
Drilling into Concrete Paver Bricks to Install a Fence
Installing a fence by Drilling holes into Concrete Paver Bricks
Same day the paver bricks were finished being laid I went to work reinstalling the fence. To make this possible a few days before the paver brick work even started I visited the local hardware stores. There I got the parts and materials needed to be ready for drilling into concrete paver bricks to install the fence.
One main item I needed to get was a new drill to make my life easier when drilling into concrete paver bricks. Having drilled into concrete in the past I was not looking forward to it. In the past using a corded power drill or a high powered lithium Ion battery powered drill making a hole in concrete took quite a bit of effort.
If you want to see the first part of this project. Visit the Paver Brick installation process page by clicking here https://mommybs.com/installing-new-paver-bricks-for-patio-and-side-yard/
Hammer Drill and Drill bits needed to make drilling into Concrete Pavers Easier
From researching and testing many hammer drills to make my life easier. I settled on the Milwaukee Hammer Drill to make drilling all of these holes into the concrete paver bricks go much smoother.
I also bought some special drill bits that are made for hammer drills. These ended up working far better than the drill bits that can be used in a normal corded or battery powered drill. This drill and the drill bits made drilling into concrete paver bricks to install a fence much easier by reducing the amount of time to drill each hole.
Images of the drill and drill bits I bought to make drilling into concrete much easier are below. The 7/8″ drill bit worked perfectly for the size of the fence post and rebar for this application. More on that to come.
Hampton Bay Empire Fence Panels and Fence Posts
Fence panels and posts that I used (Are pictured below) are manufactured by Hampton Bay and are called the Empire Fence Panel in Black Finish. These were the ones that I purchased before as well when I originally put up the fence around the perimmiter of the backyard four years ago.
In four years the fence held up great. But when I removed the fence from the section of the yard where paver bricks were being installed some fence pieces bent. So I decided to replace the fence pieces in that section.
Hampton Bay Empire fence panels go in easily and are a no dig design.
Generally these fence posts are installed into soft ground. So before showing you how to install them into concrete paver bricks I’ll first show how it is done normally in soft ground.
You install the fence in the yard by taking the fence post apart from the fence post base that is a X shaped steak. You do this by removing the small phillips head screw holding the base and fence post together.
Then you take the fence post base and hammer it into the ground with a rubber mallet. See the pictures below.
Install the fence panel onto the fence post base
Once you have the fence post base in the ground you can then use the fence post rod to install that section of fence panel onto the fence post base. You do this by placing the rod through the two holes in the fence panel. Then insert the rod into the hole of the fence post base. This secures the fence to the base.
See the pictures below.
Transitioning from Installing fence posts into soft ground, to into concrete paver bricks
Now that you know how to install the fence into soft ground. Next is how to install a fence and fence posts into concrete or concrete paver bricks.
The general concept is the same but the way the fence posts are secured will be completely different. Obviously the same fence post base can not be hammered into hard rock, concrete, or paver bricks. So there are several changes that have to happen. Mainly in how we create a way for the fence post to be secured to the ground.
Below is the step by step process to install a fence into concrete paver bricks.
Step 1 Layout where the fence Line will be
First you have to layout where the fence line will be. Carfully lay out a string to form a straight line from where you want the fence to start and end. A tight string will be very benificial for you to help keep you in a straight line. While installing the fence pieces it is easy to swerve off track. A sight line of a tight string strung between two steaks will help keep you on a straight line.
Step 2 Layout your first fence piece
Layout your first fence piece. In this case I have some fence sections already installed in the soft ground with the fence post base style. To see how to install this fence panel in soft ground see the section above on installing the fence post base in soft ground.
These sections of fence panels are installed over the area where there is grass growing. See the picture below for reference.
Step 3 Measure where the next fence post hole will need to go
With a fence panel in place on one end now measure where the other fence post needs to go. Making sure to maintain a straight line with the fence. In the below picture you can see it now goes over the concrete paver brick area.
Measure the spot where the round fence post hole will line up over the paver bricks. Then mark it with a permanent marker. This gives the spot to drill into the paver bricks with the hammer drill.
View the two pictures directly below for reference.
Step 4 Drill a hole with the Hammer Drill into the concrete paver brick
The black dot in the middle of the round fence post holder pictured above is where you will need to drill a hole into the paver bricks.
Take the Hammer Drill with the special hammer drill bit attached and carfully line up the drill bit. Make sure the center of the drill bit is directly on the black dot. Now the hammer drill has a hammer function. A hammer and rotate function. Along with just a rotate function like a normal drill.
Use just the rotary function for drilling into paver bricks
I used just the rotate function of the hammer drill to drill into these concrete paver bricks. Reason being that the hammer function will make going through the concrete paver bricks faster but will will also create the possibility of cracking the paver bricks. So to prevent the possibility of cracking a paver brick I stuck to the rotary function of the hammer drill.
Even though only the rotary function of the hammer drill was used it still worked better than a normal drill with a drill bit for a normal drill. The hammer drill drill bits have a special way they attach to the drill, this give the drill more torque. And the special drill bit has 4 cutting surfaces that make going through concrete paver bricks much faster as well.
See the pictures below of drilling into the concrete paver bricks with the hammer drill and special hammer drill bit. You can see the close up of the drill bit and drill bit head as well.
After the Hole is Drilled it should look like it does in the below picture.
There will be concrete dust surrounding the hole.
Once the drill bit drives all the way through the concrete paver brick you will feel the drill punch through into the soft ground below.
Use the drill measuring tool on the side of the drill to let you know when you are close to going through the paver brick. This is called the drill depth guage.
Or if drilling into a concrete slab and not a concrete paver brick. You can measure how deep to drill each hole using the drill depth guage.
See the picture below.
Step 5 Position the fence panel to see if it lines up with the hole properly
Swing the fence panel until the fence post hole in the fence panel lines up with the hole to make sure it was drilled in the correct spot.
If the hole does not line up you may have to adjust your fence. Or replace the paver brick or bricks the hole is drilled into and start over.
See the picture of the fence hole lined up over the drilled hole below.
Step 6 Drive a section of rebar into drilled hole of paver brick
Once the fence panel is shown to line up properly with the drilled hole you can continue. Now take a two foot section of 1/2″ rebar. Line it up directly in the middle of the hole you drilled which was done with a 7/8″ drill bit.
Make sure the rebar is straight up and down then take a hammer and drive the rebar into the ground. I like using a four pound hammer for this to make it much easier.
When you drive the rebar into the ground make sure to leave about 6 inches of it sticking up out of the paver brick. This allows the fence to be held upright better and gives the fence more rigidity.
View the pictures below.
Step 7 Place fence panels over rebar and insert fence post
With the rebar secure in the ground. Lift the fence panels up and over the rebar piece.
Now take the fence post and place it in the top tabs of the fence panels. Then insert the rebar into the fence post. As the fence post continues to drop down the fence post will go into the bottom tabs of the fence panels. Then the fence post will go into the paver bricks.
Once the fence post is started into the hole of the paver bricks Hammer it in. Now take a rubber mallet and drive the fence post all the way down into the dirt until the bottom of the of the fence post ball is flush with the top of the fence.
Rubber mallet will help make sure you don’t damage the top of the fence post.
See the pictures below for reference.
Those are the seven steps for installng a fence into concrete paver bricks
You can repeat those steps to keep adding new fence panels or sections of fence.
After installing a few fence panels I then came to where I was going to put a gate. So this next section is how to add a gate to the fence you are installing in paver bricks.
Adding a Gate to your fence installed into paver bricks
Originally the fence in this section also had a gate when originally installed over where grass was. But with the paver bricks here I had to add a few extra things to make the gate usable.
The original base to the fence posts that is used for soft ground made the fence gate rotate over the top of the base. Now with nothing but the fence post over the rebar the gate when opened or closed would scrape on the concrete paver bricks.
So to combat this issue I made plastic risers out of 1″ PVC pipe. See below for an Idea of what I am referring to.
To make these PVC tube risers for the gate and fence
Making these PVC tube risers you need some schedule 40 1″ PVC pipe. I had some left over from when I redid some of the yard sprinkler systems.
Then you need a ruler and something to cut the PVC pipe with. A hack saw works but even better is a PVC and plastic pipe cutter.
See below gallery on measuring the PVC pieces, then cutting them with the Pipe Cutter.
Make enough PVC risers you need then Paint them
I needed two risers for each side of the gate. But then I also decided to add a one and half inch riser under each fence panel so that the fence bottom would never just sit on the concrete paver bricks. As the fence panel is metal I felt a wet fence section against the concrete paver brick could cause small spots of rust. With it being in direct contact would allow moisture to sit on the fence longer.
So I made enough 1.5 inch pieces to go on each piece of rebar I put into the concrete paver bricks to install the fence. Along with two sections of 3 inch PVC pipe to go above the fence panel tab and below the gate pivot point on the fence post.
Once I made all the PVC pieces I needed I then painted them black to match the Hampton Bay Empire fence panels and Hampton Bay fence gate.
Below is the process of painting the PVC pieces. I used a High Heat Paint from Rustoleum which works great. Simply put the pieces on a rope so that I could paint all edges of it in one shot. Then used a brush to paint the white pieces black.
Using the PVC risers step by step
First step in using the PVC risers is put one of the 1.5 inch pieces on each piece of rebar that was driven into the holes in the concrete paver bricks.
See the below picture for reference.
Now place the fence pieces on the rebar, then fence post as usual
Just as before place the fence pieces over the rebar. Then insert the fence post. The only extra thing you are doing is putting the PVC piece down first creating a barrier between the fence and the paver bricks.
When you get to the gate section this will make more sense as you will see below. You have the PVC piece down, then the fence panel over that.
For the Gate sections now add the 3 in PVC piece
Next add the larger 3 inch PVC piece onto the rebar. This piece will now go above the Gate Panel Tab.
See the picture above and compare it to the one below.
Now add the Gate piece
Add the gate piece which will slide over the rebar above the 3 inch section of PVC.
What happenes is the lowest piece of PVC keeps the fence off the pavers. The 3 Inch PVC piece then keeps the gate high above the concrete Paver Bricks so the gate won’t scratch on the concrete.
Now insert the Fence Post
Insert the fence post through the top tab of the fence panel. Second through the top hole of the gate. Then through the bottom hole of the gate (as shown above). After bring it through the 3 inch PVC piece. Followed by the lower fence panel tab. Then Lastly through the lower 1.5 inch PVC riser.
See picture below
Repeat the process for the other side of the gate
Simply repeat the process for the second side of the gate. While doing this you want to make sure the gate is going to be about 1/4″ away from the other gate piece when both are closed. So drill into the concrete paver bricks and install the fence post on the opposite side in a way to allow this.
Final Drilling into Concrete paver bricks to install the last fence pieces
The final drilling into concrete paver bricks to install a fence near the shed. The last few sections of fence were installed and completed the project.
The picture below was actually before the PVC risers were painted. So that you can see where they go below the gate attachment and above the fence panel tab.
Look at the entire project Before and After
Below is a gallery showing before the paver bricks in this area. Then once the holes were drilled into the concrete paver bricks to install the fence. And the final picture of the new fence installed over the concrete paver bricks.
If you want to see more about how the paver bricks were put down and how it was all done visit this link https://mommybs.com/installing-new-paver-bricks-for-patio-and-side-yard/
Installing Paver Bricks for Patio and Side Yard
Finally had Paver Bricks Installed!
Installing paver bricks took longer then expected. But feels great to finally have one of the lingering house projects checked off the list. Although once one item is checked off the to do list it seems it somehow duplicates into 2 or 3 more projects. Even so we made progress here and it turned out great!
Normally I try to do the project myself. However in this case with installing paver bricks the cost of doing it myself when compared to the cost of having a company come in and do it was close enough for me to spare my back and time. I would of had to rent a truck or trailer. Then deal with getting a lot of the filler material and rent tools such as the concrete saw and ground vibrator. So in the end we contracted someone to do it.
First a look at the Before Pictures
Before we get to far ahead to installing the paver bricks, here are pictures below on what we were dealing with. Before pictures of what the front patio, planter, side of the house, and backyard section we wanted done looked liked to start.
The side yard has been a royal pain to try and get the grass to grow. As soon as the grass looks great summer hits. Then the grass gets full sun multiplied by the heat and reflected light off the house. This causes the grass to die again.
Then fall and winter until late spring the grass would grow back and look great until summer once again would destroy it. No matter how much we watered it. In the summer the grass just couldn’t cope with the amount of sunlight and the reflected heat and sun off the house.
Having an idea of what we are starting with now time to find out how much all of this will cost.
Getting Quotes for Paver Brick work
Fortunatly there are a slew of companies that specialize in paver brick installations throughout South Florida. So we checked online and found ones that had the best reviews and started contacting them. Its pretty simple just google companies installing paver bricks, or paver brick installers into the search along with your city or area. Then just check the reviews left by previous clients.
Luckily for me I am used to dealing with getting quotes for work. Being a yacht captain it is something that I constantly do for all kinds of projects on my clients high priced assets (fancy word for expensive toys). So in searching for a paver brick company I already had an idea what to expect when getting multiple quotes.
Having several companies give you quotes is benificial
Even though it is a pain to contact several companies, meet with them, explain what you want over and over. Then handle all the emails and phone calls you will get from each one. But in the end it is worth it. Most companies will negotiate a little more once they know you are exploring your options.
Also when you meet with the people giving you a quote you can find out how the company operates. You can tell if they know what they are talking about or not. Many large companies have a sales rep that comes out to give quotes. This is the worst type to get quotes from because the rep won’t necessarily know what to mark down in notes. Which may lead to not getting exactly what you want. They also may often will just tell you what you want to hear to get the job.
These larger paver brick companies will also generally charge more because they are employing more people. Have more office space, and often more company vehicles. This is not always a bad thing though as with many things you often get what you pay for. So these larger companies will stand by their product more. Are more willing to do what is needed to make you happy. Along with once you give a down payment you know the company won’t suddenly disappear on you. This is a major issue with contractors, especially in South Florida.
Our Paver Brick Company in South Florida
Once I compiled several quotes for paver brick installation one company in particular stood out as the best for our application. There were a few things I liked about the company from the start. One was the owner of the company met with me directly. Two they were the only company to give me a huge book with all of the available products possible to use. The owner spent the time to go over some sample materials he had in his truck. Then to cap it off they were also the lowest quote.
Granted the quote wasn’t that much lower than competitors but still it was certainly icing on the cake.
If you are wondering this company was Carmac Pavers Inc. based out of South Florida.
Price of getting paver bricks installed
Quote we received was for 721 square feet of pavers installed. Along with 80 linear feet of pavers used to line the garden beds and walk way by the planters.
Quote total was $5,630 which included the 721 square feet. Of which 420 sqare feet was for the front entrance area and side of the house. 81 square feet of pavers for in the garden area. 220 square feet for the back patio. And the 80 linear feet of pavers lining the garden beds and walk ways by the planters.
In the price I negotiated in the cost of sealing the pavers. From the start all materials and old paver removal was included.
Picking out what type of paver bricks to use
After agreeing to go with one quote I paid the 50% deposit then went to where the company we selected buys their paver bricks in bulk to see samples of what is offered.
The company is called Tremron in Pompano Beach. They had a simple showing area outside of their main paver bricks layed out.
After seeing their selection we chose the Mega Olde Towne style paver bricks to use in Sand Dune Color. THe Mega Olde Towne style has 3 or 4 sized bricks that allow the pattern to look great. The color we chose matched our house and yard perfectly.
Getting Approval from the HOA
Next was filling out an application to send to the dreaded home owners association. We often have mixed feelings about the HOA. Luckily in our case the HOA fee is a very cheap costing only 140 per year.
Although it is a hassle to get things approved it really does add value to the neighborhood. Every house has to adhere to a certain standard so the neighborhood remains beautiful looking.
So we sent in the application, with a drawing on the land survey of where the pavers were going. The land survey was just the outline survey we got when we bought the house. This was done as part of the survey of the property when buying. Also sent in the business details and insurance for the contractor company.
In two weeks we got everything approved. So we gave the deposit check. Then the paver company ordered the paver bricks.
Paver bricks were delivered to our house
Next the paver bricks we chose were delivered in the quantity determined by the paver brick company. They called ahead of time to tell us when they were going to be delivered. Then showed up with a flat bed trailer and a fork lift.
The fork lift made the rounds back and forth and lined up the paver bricks neatly on our driveway.
Very next day paver work began at our house
7 am the paver company had four guys come. They brought a truck with a trailer containing materials tools and supplies. Along with the owner of the company stopping at the house to get everyone started. They got to work in record time.
Quickly the areas being worked on were leveled removing all grass, then a special leveling sand was put down. Once that was down they used a large vibrating compactor to compact the leveling sand and dirt under it.
Over the compacted sand Pavers were then laid
Paver bricks where then laid in what they call a random pattern. The pattern is actually well thought out but is just called a random pattern. In this way the pavers create sight lines the down the pavers. Which create a beautiful look and draw your eye throughout it. This also makes the area look larger than it actually is as well.
Same technique is also used in laying tile in homes. In homes it is even more important to create sight lines than in pavers outside but doing it in paver bricks as well creates a wonderful finished product.
How long the work took
Was impressive how fast they worked to complete the project. Carmac Pavers Inc finished the work in less than 2 full days. They worked from 7 am to 6 pm the first day. Then 7 am to 11 am the second day and they were 95% finished. Just amazing how fast they worked.
Only things that were still left to do were come back and do a small section of the garden border, then put sealer on the paver bricks. These items were completed two days later in just a few hours.
Now for what we all love, Before and After pictures!
Before and after pictures side by side of before the paver brick work and after the paver bricks were installed. This is where the scope of the project can really be seen better.
This is the front patio by the walk way leading towards the front door. The before picture you can see the previous owner of the house failed miserably at installing the paver bricks herself. The bricks were never even cut properly to fit in the space.
The after picture sure makes my wife happy! Mommy BS was thrilled! (Her initials are BS fyi which makes our website name even more hilarious)
Backyard section of the paver bricks looking from the shed towards the canal behind the house. You can see it makes a huge difference in our usable patio area. More on how we plan on using this space in future posts!
Before and After the paver bricks were installed on the side of the house. This area as mentioned before was difficult to get grass to grow consistently during the summer. As it would get full sun and the reflected heat and sun off the house combined would kill the grass.
We plan to utilize this space as well and put a few storage bins here to help clear out the garage.
Next few posts I will cover how I reinstalled the fence where the paver bricks now are. Along with how we will utilize the new space the paver bricks have created.
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