Tree-Lined Streets, Storybook Homes, Delicious Breakfast Casserole & Backyard Fun

Welcome to the 545th Metamorphosis Monday!

Beautiful Oakwood, Ohio is so picturesque with its tree-lined streets. It truly feels like you’ve stepped back in time to a much simpler life, one where the mailman still walks door-to-door to deliver the mail, slipping it into the little slot right beside the door.

Tree-lined street

 

I could drive around all day just oohing and ahhing over all the beautiful homes.

Historical Home, Ohio, 2019

 

Love how our flag is so proudly displayed in front of this beautiful home!

Historical Home in Ohio

 

Another beautiful cottage–hard to see but hidden behind the trees is a lovely porte-cochere on the side of the home, perfect for pulling under on those rainy days.

Historical Cottage, Ohio

 

As soon as this post goes up, I’ll be heading out for the 9-hour trek home. My daughter-in-law and I were almost in tears last night because it has been a  wonderful four weeks. I will miss her, my son and grandsons so much. It’s been a wonderful summer so far, can’t believe how fast it’s passing by! This has to be the busiest summer I can ever remember.

In case you have grandchildren or little ones still at home, I thought I’d share how the dinosaur play pool looked set up for the boys.

Kid's Dinosaur Play pool for summer

 

As you can see in the above photo, we pulled the rainbow sprinkler I had set up a few days before over to the play pool.

Rainbow Sprinkler, Water Toy for Summer for Kids

 

This is a fairly large pool, large enough that one of the adults in the family may have gotten in and stretched out with a cool drink in hand during all the playtime. 🙂

Dinosaur Playpool for summer

 

So the boys got a double sprinkling when they came down the slide in the pool: once going down the slide and again as they landed. Definitely recommend this dinosaur play pool if you have little ones around. (Find it here: Dinosaur Play Pool. Rainbow sprinkler is available here: Rainbow Sprinkler.)

Rainbow Sprinkler and Dinosaur Play pool for Summer

 

Weeding Done!

The mini landscaping/weeding project I started was completed. I liberally sprinkled preen down once the weeds had been pulled, then covered as many areas as I could with landscaping fabric. Some areas that were mostly weed free didn’t get landscaping fabric.

In the photo below I had run out of mulch, but it’s a good image to show how the fabric looks down. I made another trip back to Lowes for 12 more bags of their brown mulch that’s currently on sale for just $2 a bag.

Landscape Fabric for fighting weeds

 

Sideyard before…

 

After with weeds gone, Preen applied, landscaping fabric and mulch in place. I would love to see some evergreen shrubs on the side of the house eventually, instead of just the hostas that were transplanted here from the backyard when the landscaping was done a few years ago. I think shrubs would help fight off the weeds a bit better.

Mulching to Keep Out Weeds, Brown Mulch

 

The Oakleaf Hydrangea is in the process of turning a gorgeous rose pink!

Oakleaf Hydrangea turning pink

 

There’s some landscape fabric on this side, as well, but in the areas that didn’t get the fabric, some spot-weeding will need to be done. I’m so hoping this fights back the thistle that’s been trying to take over the front and side gardens each year!

Front Landscape for keeping Down Weeds

 

My daughter-in-law, Nancy, makes the yummiest breakfast casserole! I’m going to attempt to make it once I’m back home. It’s made from zucchini, red onion, spinach, bell pepper, tomatoes, feta cheese, eggs and a bit of seasoning. I think that’s all the ingredients. Healthy and really good!

Anyone else make a similar recipe? She adds and subtracts some of the ingredients according to what she has on hand at the time. I’m a recipe follower where she is great at looking in the fridge and coming up with something that tastes amazing! That’s a talent I don’t have! lol

 

Okay, time to quit procrastinating and start the 9+ hour drive back home. Ugh. At least the weather is gorgeous, so it should be a sunny drive.

Looking forward to all the great Before and Afters for this week’s Metamorphosis Monday!

Metamorphosis Monday

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Comments

  1. Glad you’ve enjoyed your time in Ohio! It’s always great to spend time with family. Thanks for taking the time to host the party

  2. Anne Shaheen says

    Susan,thank you so much. You know how much this post means to me!

  3. Goodness, you’re setting a high bar for mother-in-laws, lol!

  4. Nancy Bednar says

    Hi Susan,
    Loved your post and tour of that sweet Ohio town. I’m a foodie and always looking for a great recipe. Can you please share details of that yummy casserole your DIL prepared? Promise to give you girls all the credit.

    Many thanks,
    Nancy

    • I definitely will! My dil texted over how she makes it today and I purchased all the ingredients for it yesterday. I’ll try to make it very soon and post the recipe.

  5. It is wonderful and a blessing you have such a great relationship with your dil, son and grandchildren! The Oakwood homes are truly beautiful and my favorite style of homes. My parents are from the Springfield, Enon area of Ohio.

    • Virginia Britt says

      Have you ever thought of moving to this pretty place to be near your folks?

    • They really are! They are very similar to a lot of the homes you see here in the historic areas and small towns in Georgia. I love how each house on a street is so different from the one next door. Def no cookie cutter neighborhoods!

  6. I know just where your son lives, it is part of Dayton. I live in W Chester Ohio not to far from Oakwood.
    There is a restaurant there called Oakwood, very cute small place but very good food. I am sure you have been there

    Sandy

    • Each time I visit, my son takes me to a new place he’s discovered. We often end up at The Pine Club since he knows it’s a favorite of mine. Sunday we dined at The Paragon Supper Club and it was amazing! Dayton has a lot of good restaurants!

  7. Jean from Georgia says

    Cute cottages. This could be the same in some areas of Atlanta. I can drive thru parts of Atlanta all day long and wish for one of the homes, although that city is too busy for me.

  8. The weeding project looks great but put the Preen right on top of the mulch. Weed seeds will propagate on top of the mulch and you’ll still get weeds

  9. Glad you had a good time with your family. Love the kids pool and sprinkler.
    I too, have a long drive home when I see my grandbabies, son and dil- I’m a 18 hour drive- over 2 days. The scenery is beautiful and I pack a lunch & snacks and stop at picnic spots along the way, and stretch my legs. I listen to audiobooks either CDs or overdrive on my iPad. I actually really enjoy the time to think and reflect. And for safety I receive regular calls from friends and family. Enjoy your drive.

    • Wow! I think I would have to fly that each time…that’s def a long drive! Glad you are able to make it semi fun and enjoyable. I know what you mean, Julia…I couldn’t survive the drive without my Audible books!

      • I do fly, too. But the drive along the St Lawrence River, across the top of the Bay of Fundy to the Atlantic Ocean, is just beautiful. And it’s 4 to 6 lanes all the way.

  10. Care to share the breakfast casserole recipe ? If sounds delicious!

  11. The flower beds look great! Evergreens would probably help keep the weeds down but boy those Hostas are gorgeous! I wish mine were that large…just beautiful. The grandsons look like they are enjoying their sprinkler and play pool. So cute! My guess is that it was their tiny grandmother who had a dip in the pool. lol Have a safe trip and thanks for sharing the photos of the houses. Reminded me of Forest Hills in Pittsburgh…I love them!

  12. Safe travels, Susan. Wave as you go past the Ikea on I-75. I’m not far from there. I know you’re sorry to leave family, but you can look forward to that exciting trip to England that is right around the corner!

  13. Bobbi Duncan says

    Your Ohio trip sounds dreamy–know you had a ball with your family, and I’m sure they appreciate all your hard work helping with their yard and such. I love the pool, but my grands have a community pool and one at their other grandma’s nearby so I think it would get little use if I sent it. I know Oakwwood well as my friend lived there while I resided in Ohio–beautiful neighborhood with the kind of homes I grew up with in NJ and the kind that we have where I live now. There’s just something magical about those homes on shaded tree-lined streets, especially during the holidays when you can walk around looking at all the decorated homes and stop by for chats with the neighbors while doing so. Hugs!

  14. Bobbi Duncan says

    Oakwood, not Oakwwood–I need to learn how to spell lol!

  15. Another one for the breakfast casserole recipe too, please

  16. 4 weeks!!! That went by fast for me–how about you? lol. So much classic summer-ness packed into this post. The kids will have grand memories of your visit and activities. That new and improved garden looks really good and love the bright green hostas. Beautiful neighborhood too. Thanks to your blog, it was a nice visit for us all 😉

  17. The landscaping turned out great! I like the hostas on the side of the house myself. It can be tricky if there’s a lot of shade as to what you can plant there.
    The backyard play pool and sprinkler looks like a lot of fun for the kids!

  18. Mary from Virginia says

    I hope your trip goes well! I know you will miss them. Any cute yellow cottage houses for sale in Ohio?

    Nancy’s recipe sounds yummy!

    Safe travels!

  19. What a great four weeks you’ve had, Susan! And I know Nancy is very appreciative of both the weeding and all you did for the grands. No wonder she was in tears with your leaving. Maybe you have your eye on one or more of the cottages??

  20. Those houses remind me of my home town, St. Louis. Have a safe trip. Won’t be long and you will be packing for England.

  21. Susan, talk about a transformation! That side of the house looks amazing! I bet Chip and Nancy are thrilled (and very thankful.) Great job. So wonderful you know what you are doing and are healthy and fit enough to do it.

    The play things for the kids are so adorable. I love the colors. That little swimming pool is just so cute. I’m sure they and their adult companion, whomever that might have been 😉 really enjoyed cooling off.

    And thanks for the pictures of those houses. So lovely. There is just nothing like those quaint “Americana” neighborhoods. Lovely.

    Glad you had such a great time. 4 weeks flew by! Safe travels home. Hopefully you can rest a day or two before you have to tackle weeds, there. Lol. 😀

  22. Kathleen says

    The play pool is so grand! Bet the babies loved it. Hope it stores easily so they can enjoy for summers to come. Four weeks away from home is a long time, but it flies by. Love the tour you gave of the beautiful Ohio homes. Lots of hard work on the flowerbed. It shows. Wishing you safe travel!

  23. It was enjoyable to see all that you did while in Ohio and you accomplished a lot! I’m sure you will be missed and it will be nice when you can go back again. Your son will have to let you know if you won the battle with the thistle and it looks like you sure did. I’m sure you are looking forward to going back soon and I wonder if you have ever thought of moving to that area. Looks very charming like you would like.

  24. Oh Susan, I totally understand you: the clocks seem to tick even faster when we’re with family and have fun! 🙁 You absolutely need to buy one of those cute cottages in Ohio … it’s very touching to know that your dil is sorry, too, when you have to leave! I know, they all feel lucky to have you in their lives and so do you. Your grandsons are so cute, I bet they’ll always think of the fun they’re having with their new rainbow sprinkler this summer, when they see a rainbow in the sky! 🙂
    Have a safe drive home, Susan!

  25. Margaret Doran says

    Lovely town for a long visit with family. Our mail is delivered to the door, and our daughter has a mail slot the carrier slips her mail through. In a 21st century touch, our mail carrier is our former son-in-law’s fiancee’s stepmother.

  26. Would you consider moving there, to one of these cozy cottages closer to your family? I felt sad reading that you are heading away from them.

  27. Claudette Flanigan says

    Sounds like an incredible time with your family! I so enjoy my close relationship with my children’s spouses. The landscaping looks beautiful…I am a huge fan of different varieties of hostas. Recipe sounds great. When you make it please share.

  28. That rainbow pool set up is awesome, I know the boys loved that! I hope you have an easy drive back, thanks Susan!

  29. Oh dang – Susan – I was hoping to know when you’d next be in Ohio. I live 1.5 hours from Dayton and would’ve happily made the trip to meet you.

    Oh, well, maybe next time. I really hope we do meet up one day. It just kills me when I find a beloved blog friend is so close – yet so far away.

    Hugs. Hope your trip back was safe and sound.

  30. Susan,
    Family time is so important, and making memories with your grandsons! The water pool /slide for them is super cute, and the flower beds look great, I know it is a lot of work in the heat !

    Safe travel home !
    Paula
    IN

  31. Susan, what a nice post. The homes in Oakwood are beautiful! It reminds me of “old” Highland Park in the center of Dallas, except those are quite close together. Oakwood gives room to breathe …
    The beds came out perfect, by the way! As long as Chip and Nancy keep the mulch going, it should work well. Dwarf yaupon hollies would be a perfect substitution for the hostas, although it would be nice if they used the hostas for fill-in.
    And I would love the recipe, too!
    Stay safe on your way home — you mean so much to so many people!

  32. I always enjoy your posts and this one made me especially happy. I know that many bloggers keep families off limits, but knowing how much you love your son, DIL and grandsons make everything you post better. I love it when you show us the items you are going to get for your son. I am blessed to have my three grown children and their families living nearby. My oldest grandchild is 14 and the youngest is 7. My advice to you is to really think about moving closer to your son’s family. I know you would hate to leave your beautiful home, but I think you are so talented you would have fun creating another lovely home. Those sweet grandsons will soon be going to school and playing ball and it is so special to be part of that. You’d be a great help too, getting them from place to place. Being able to be close to my grandchildren and being a big part of their life has been wonderful. Just think of all the new subjects you would have to write about!!

  33. Cyndi Raines says

    Susan, it’s great that you had such a fun time with your family and that you could buy such a perfect gift for the boys! They will enjoy the pool and water sprinkler all summer long! What awesome memories they will have. The yard looks terrific and I’m sure they appreciate it very much. I think the hostas look very nice, they are one of my favorites as they fill in so nicely and require little work. Safe journey home and get rested for that awesome trip to England. Can’t wait to hear all about it.

  34. What a charming town. Nice job on the landscaping/weeding, Susan, and I too, would LOVE to have your daughter-in-law’s breakfast casserole recipe. How long does she cook it, and at what temperature?

  35. Thank you so much for hosting the party.
    Happy summer,
    Kippi

  36. Just beautiful! I love all your posts!!

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