Yesterday was a busy day at the Haupert household! Mal and I hosted a Mother’s Day lunch for my mom, sister (mom-to-be), and brother-in-law, Pat, and then Mal and Pat built a shed in our backyard. Oh, the fun of being a homeowner!
About an hour before my family arrived at our house, Mal said he was going to Lowe’s. He didn’t say why and I didn’t ask, so I figured he was going to buy some more grass seed for our backyard or something like that. Well, about 45 minutes later, he showed up with a huge 150-pound box on his car and inside was a new shed for our backyard. Well, ok then! Mal had talked about buying a new shed for a couple of weeks now, so I guess yesterday was the day to get it!
A few minutes later, my family arrived at our house. Of course, my mom had treats for Murphy. (The pug is one spoiled dog. I can only imagine what will happen with Matthew!)
Batman also came for the Mother’s Day celebration. He is so adorable. Doesn’t it look like he’s wearing eyeliner?
Treats?!?
After spending a little time outdoors, we all came inside to catch up while I started to make lunch, which was a bunch of finger foods and appetizersāāmost of which came from Trader Joe’s. Love that place.
We hadāĀ¦ Coconut Shrimp and Spinach & Kale Bites.
Pastry Bites with Feta & Caramelized Onions.
Sweet Potato Fries.
Salad.
Roasted edamame with garlic oil & Parmesan cheese.
And Coconut Macaroons. <— super easy to make!
Lunch was delicious all around!
After lunch, we all headed outside. The ladies relaxed on the porch, the dogs explored the yard (and left Post It notes for each other), and the guys built the shed.
A little over one month to go for my sister!
Building the shed ended up being quite the project for the guys.
Mal measured the space in between our porch and fence (he wasn’t going to make a mistake like we did with our new fridge), so he knew the shed would fit, but it was going to take a little finagling.
There was literally zero wiggle room on either side of shed, which meant in needed to be lifted into the space to avoid the fence posts.
Thankfully, it fit perfectly! As my sister said: āHoly shed!āĀ
Hooray for outdoor storage!
UnDiet Giveaway
Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway to win a copy of UnDiet! Here’s your winner:
Amy
I would love to win a copy to give to my Mom! She’s been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease since she was in high school, and I think this would be an amazing resource for her. Thanks!
Congrats, Amy! Please email me at tina@carrotsncake.com with you full name and mailing address to claim your prize!
Question of the Day
On a scale of 1-10 (10 being ālove itāĀ), how much do you like doing yard work?
Growing up, I wasn’t a fan of yard work at all. It was definitely a chore that my mom forced my sister and I do, so, back then, I’d give it a 3. Now that I have my own home though, I enjoy it quite a bit more. Mal and I have been doing all sorts of stuff to our outdoor spaces (I still need to show you guys pics), so I’m more like a 7 now. I don’t love yard work, but I definitely like it now.
59 Comments
aww, Happy Mother’s day!
http://therealfoodrunner.blogspot.com
Um… zero? I wasn’t permitted to do it when I was a kid, and now I just flat out refuse to be bothered. When my boyfriend bought the house I flat out told him he’s responsible for 100% of outdoor work, period. If I were single, I would just rent apartments for the rest of my life. No responsibilities! It was so nice.
I really like growing my own vegetables and herbs. Aside from that, I’m not really into much gardening or yard work; it can be hard to keep many things alive through the hot Australian summers… though I do love entertaining outside, so I try to keep it looking nice out there!
Don’t you just love Trader Joe’s? So easy to throw together a delicious meal – I never tried their coconut shrimp but have been meaning to. I absolutely hate anything that has to do with the yard and yard work lol. I hate dirt, grass, bugs, planting….always have, always will lol.
@meredith: I do! It’s the best! š
All of these tasty eats look So good!!
It is so funny that you said it looks like that sweet puppy dog is wearing eyeliner. My mom and I always tell my dog Lola that she has the most perfect eyeliner and that we are jealous of her! š
I’m actually a huge fan of yard work! If I were given the choice of chores, I’d rather be outside taking care of plants than inside cleaning just about anything. But, having a condo or apartment is nice because all that upkeep of the yard does take time and money…
Oh I love all the family togetherness! I am not a huge fan of yard work, which works out because I live in the city and don’t have a yard. however, whenever i go to my parents’ house it usually doesnt take long before I’m handed some bulbs and told to get to work š
I hate doing yard work! Props to all the men. All that food looks delicious, but especially the edamame! You have officially convinced me to go to Trader Joe’s today.
Ahhh those coconut macaroons look so good! And it sounds like a fabulous day!
Hah I’m not a fan at all of doing yard work. Growing up, my mom always tried to pay me to mow the grass. I never took the bait. I’d much rather just sit outside and soak up the sun! š
I love moving the lawn. When I was a kid we had over 7 acres and it would take almost all day, so we divided the lawn into sections and each kid was responsible for his/her piece. I would hop on and zone out for an hour or two listening to music. Now that I’m older I really enjoy gardening. I am trying to get a veggie garden set up for this year… we had frost this morning so I might need to wait another week.
Your sister looks beautiful with her little bump! I don’t really like doing yard work but love how nice things look with flowers and fresh mowed grass. I would say I’m around a 4 on the yard work scale. Hopefully I’ll learn to like it more as my garden starts to grow.
I’ll cook, clean, whatever, but yardwork, no thanks!
What kind of dog is batman? He’s so cute!
He’s a mutt! Mostly Basenji and Lab, I think! š
@Tina:
He looks like he could have a bit of german shepherd in him too! So adorable!
I think he might!
I like indoor chores better like organizing and decorating but will do outdoor work when necessary š
I rate it an 11!! I LOVE yardwork. lol Outside, getting a tan, getting a workout without even knowing it, and then the surprise at the end– a finished project that looks beautiful.
I do like it so probably a 7, but in the summer I sometimes get sick of it and would rather be at the beach or just relaxing in the sun.
I love coconut shrimp! It looks so yummy!
I’m so NOT a fan of yard work. That’s why we live in a townhouse! No maintenance required! š
I hate yard work… but I do want to start a garden when I own a house, so maybe I’ll like it a little better then! My sister and I used to always have to pull weeds in the back yard and she’d be lazy while we were doing it, leaving all of the work to me. Needless to say, I would not be happy and it would just lead to fights. I’ve never learned to mow the lawn and don’t plan to…so hopefully I find a husband who can do it!
I love it when the weather is nice…which isn’t very often here! But when the sun is shining and it’s warm it feels momentarily like a dream job!
We need a shed badly-maybe I should just leave your post up on our computer and that’ll drop the hint to my fiancĆĀ© that its finally time for one!
Growing up I hated yard work as well and would have probably given it a 2. If I heard the word “weed” I would run for the hills. I ALWAYS had to pull them out of our sidewalk. Now that we own a house it is definitely different, and I usually enjoy it for the most part. I would say that 2 has turned into a solid 7!
I hate doing yard work but I know it needs to be done. that dog is so funny sitting in the chair like that! roasted edamame sound awesome, I guess I could just do it like I roast chickpeas, yum
Like negative 3. You couldn’t drag me to a Home Depot or Lowes if my life depended on it. Good thing I live in an urban jungle!
I hated doing yard work when I was younger, but I think once I get a home I won’t mind it as much. That said, I live in an apartment now and hate deep cleaning — like decorating and tidying, but not the deep cleaning — so not sure if I’ll ever like the dirty chores!
And I love Trader Joe’s frozen stuff! It’s surprisingly not that bad for you, ingredient-wise, and almost all really tasty.
It would probably depend on the type of yard work ;). Luckily I have a do-it-yourself manly man of a boyfriend who is more than happy to build all the shed in the world haha!
Your lunch looks so good! I’ve had the TJ caramelized onion tartlets and they are delicious when they come out hot from the oven.
That roasted edamame dish looks delicious! Do you have a recipe for it?
I’ll post it on CNC soon! š
2????? I’m not really a fan, but we have an old-fashioned mower and I like using that sometimes for a workout!!! haha
I’m a -100 on yard work. I hate it with a passion, probably because my parents forced us to do it when we were kids and so I’ve never been a fan. But that was smart of Mal to buy the shed yesterday, that way he had some help!
Well I love being outside so yard work in general is okay with me…I don’t enjoy just mowing at all, but anything else is usually okay š
Your finger foods look wonderful! Have you shared your recipe for the Spinach and Kale Bites?
They’re from Trader Joe’s! š
@Tina: Ah! Of course they are…That’s the best place ever. Thanks š
I love to garden, but when it comes to mowing or raking leaves it’s definitely more of a chore.
That edamame dish looks KILLER! Where did you get the recipe!? Or are they a Trader Joe’s especial?
I love doing yard work! I love when I have colorful flowers and the grass is freshly cut and edged with mulch! My husband loves doing yard work as well! My mom and dad love doing yard work so I am sure that is were I get it š Looks like you had a wonderful day!
Can you please post a recipe for the roasted edamame with garlic oil & Parmesan cheese, please? I’m literally drooling at my desk.
Will do! š
Batman and Murphy are the cutest! And your sister is the cutest preggers lady! I don’t have a comment on yardwork but I’ll just say it’s likely a reason I’ll never, ever move out of the city and buy a house. I have an overall suggestion, though. You and your sister seem super close, like my sister and I are. I love being an aunt more than anything but one thing I wish I had done was spend more time with my sister right before she had her son. The relationship shifts a bit – not anyone’s fault but your sister will be all consumed with a baby, and even when you hang out, the time will be focused on the baby, not each other. So – if I may suggest – spend time together in the next month. Go for massages, have dinner, even just sit on the couch and watch TV together. You never get that time back, and I really wish I had taken more advantage.
I’d say I’m about a 2 as of right now but that’s probably because I don’t have a yard of my own yet. However, when I have my own yard (with a garden!) I’m sure that number will move closer to 10!
Looks like you had a great day! I don’t mind yard work too much, especially if the weather is nice. Any excuse to be outside is ok with me. I hated it as a kid. We always got roped into weeding and mulching…my least favorite to this day!
My husband has been bugging me constantly about getting a shed! Looks handy.
Also that dog has mastered the “smokey eye”! haha It does look like eye liner!
I loved it as a kid because I could get a tan and we had a huge yard to mow. Now I hate it. I’d give it a 2.
I used to hate it as a kid. Growing up, my mom made my sisters and me cut the grass on Friday’s afterschool. We had no no social life. But I do have nice memories of spending time with my mom and my sisters making our yard pretty. Now, once I commit to getting it done, I rather enjoy it.
TJs spinach and kale bites are my jam! SO good.
On a scale of 0-10 I like to do 0 yard work. When I was younger I would take the “job” of distracting the dog while my mom did yard work. I would insist that If I didn’t do a good job of distracting her she’d eat the flowers so I was being “helpful” but really just playing around with the dog.
I’m weird about yard work. I procrastinate and put it off as long as possible, but once I get started, I LOVE it and don’t want to stop.
I did not like doing yard work….now I like doing small things outside–flowers & stuff. Big stuff, no way! hah. Yes, that is quite the fit for the shed!! Glad he measured it š
I’m not a big fan of yard work but I now see it as an efficient way to get some exercise.
I always had to mow when I was younger to earn things/money… and once I was old enough for a job I still had to keep mowing? I just realized this. haha. It took 2 hours with a huge mower so I grew to hate it. Now my husband does all the mowing/weed-eating/outside work and I tend to my garden and do everything inside. I really hate doing the garden as well, but I love the vegetables so it’s a decent trade-off. As for flowers, if the previous owner didn’t plant bulbs, we wouldn’t have any. I do have 1 flower pot I got as a wedding gift (those people clearly knew me well) that I plant a flower in each year. And then strive to not kill it š
Did Murphy get you anything for Mother’s Day? My pups took me to DQ š
I am addicted to the TJ’s spinach and kale bites…
@deb: They were really tasty! š
My parents never made me do yardwork, as I was always stuck indoors cleaning. Since I own a home now I absolutely love yardwork and truly enjoy mowing and landscaping. I give it a 10!
I don’t mind doing yard work actually, but right now my husband and I live in a townhome so all of our yard work is done by the association (we pay a fee each month for it)…it’s not too bad of a situation but I’m really looking forward to when I have my own yard to garden in someday!
I really don’t mind it and often find it quite rewarding, but life gets busy with kids and there isn’t a whole lot of time to do it anymore so we have a landscaper now. I got out and weeded a couple of weeks ago and I was thrilled, unfortunately the weeds are back already š
It looks like ya’ll had a great weekend! I love the “holy shed” comment. I’m not a huge fan of yard work unless it’s the perfect temperature outside (which rarely happens in TN…we have heat waves!)
Your sister looks great!
0 on yard work–condo living is perfect for me!
i hate yard work. i think if i had someone to do it with, it would make it a little better.
do you have a recipe for those pastry bites? they sound delish!!
-AJ
FitTravelerAJ.com
This looks so tasty.