Poll results: Cottage trailer

Last week, we were daydreaming about the cottage life (don't miss this week's look at all things cottage chic), with profiles of couples who chose a trailer on a waterfront lot in lieu of traditional cottages.

And, while it may sound idyllic, the majority of Yourhomers, at 71 per cent, said they wouldn't be swapping out their cottages for this cheaper, lower-maintenance alternative.

About 14 per cent said they would make the switch, while an equal number said they would consider it.

This week, we're looking at our soggy summer, and how it's hit our gardens. My Ugly Garden has learned that plants don't appreciate all that extra water, though the weeds have been thriving on it, while gardening guru Sonia Day offers her tips and tricks for bailing out your flowers.

Has all this rain dampened your gardening efforts? Cast your vote in the front page poll.

And, don't miss our photo gallery of cottage chic style tips, Colin and Justin's floral makeover, a profile of a first-time developer (who's 95 years old!) and Bob Aaron's explanation of why you shouldn't send those sensitive photos away for developing.

Channeling my weekend warrior

When Mr. Speedy and I were renters, the rare quiet weekend was dedicated to doing a wee spot of housework paired with a large quantity of brunching, TV-watching and strolling through the shops. It was peaceful and relaxing, if not always particularly productive.

But now that we're new homeowners, things are happening at a slightly less relaxed pace. There's still so much unpacking to do (how on earth did we ever accumulate that much stuff?), along with loads of regular housework and maintenance-type things. It seems the list is ever-growing and never-ending, while my enthusiasm for tackling the items (especially the unpacking) has been steadily waning.

And that's not good. So this weekend, with some (OK, a lot) of help from my in-laws, we're going to get a motivation boost and start tackling that super long list of home tasks that I blogged about last week.

As for prioritizing, thanks for some advice from my Twitter friend @erinmillsliving we decided to rearrange our to-dos to move anything that could get worse (like the garage roof) and inexpensive fixes that could improve our enjoyment of our home, like replacing the faulty light fixture in the basement, to the top of our list.

And, if the weather ever holds, I also hope to start ripping out some of the unattractive, overgrown and undesirable plants from our yard (it may or may not be revenge for that first gardening attempt.)

Seeing as Mr. Speedy and I don't fit into the description of diehard DIYers (or, for that matter, even the "handy" label), it's going to be a stressful and challenging experience, as we pick up our hammers and screwdrivers and try to whip the place into shape.

But I'm going to try to channel the lessons Toolgirl taught me, and hopefully, I'll have stunning success stories to share with you next week, instead of tales of injuries and woe. Wish us luck!

Decor dos

Tuesday's story tackled style expert Karl Lohnes' top 5 decorating no-nos — which include artwork that's hung too high, supersized sofas and letting trends affect your choices for investment pieces.

As always, space was limited in print, so I had to leave out some of his tips. But, I figured that they could still come in handy around your house, so here you go:

Being stuck for seating doesn't mean you need to buy a larger sofa. Lohnes suggested respecting the size rule — no more than two-thirds the width of your room — and instead search for a sofa with a slimmer, smaller arms. This will give you more cushion space, and thus more seating, without eating up any more of your room.

And, he says, your area rug should share colours and value with your artwork. Like your art, area rugs are an investment piece tasked with tying your room together — so purchasing decisions should be made accordingly.

Speaking of area rugs, when you're looking one for one to dress up your dining room, it should be 45 centimetres (18 inches) larger on each side than the table top, allowing your chairs to sit on it when they're pushed in.

And, when you're looking to change things up around the house, Lohnes suggests looking down.

You see, "Flooring is the largest surface in our home other than our ceiling," he says. "Ultimately, the floor is the foundation" for the whole style and feel of our home. And, this space is far too often ignored.

So consider the vibe those worn carpets, drab colours and outdated styles are giving off — and start exploring your options.  Whether you're painting, resanding or staining existing floors, laying new carpet, or using laminates or cork tiles, there are many inexpensive options that will "instantly update the space."

Garbage day happy dance!

Yesterday morning I woke up to the sound of trucks picking up the recycling along my street — and it was music to my ears!

You see, yesterday was the first day of post-garbage strike pickup here in Toronto. Finally, my garage is starting to breathe easier, and I can start cleaning out those questionable and expired items in my fridge.

When we moved, we didn't have bins for pickup. Because we don't generate a lot of trash, we figured we'd just hold off for a week or two while we waited for our tags and bins to arrive. They came two days before the strike started. So that means we had a head start on the garbage piling up in our garage.

Luckily, we were able to send a rather smelly load off with family who live outside the city, but that still left us with a mountain of recyclables as well as all those boxes and bits and bobs that come from unpacking and moving.

And, as miserable and stinky as the strike was (it was getting to the point of holding my breath on the way to the bus stop), it did teach me to change some of my slightly lazy garbage day habits.

For starters, I'm now much more thorough when rinsing out my recyclables. A storm cloud of fruit flies is a powerful incentive.

I'm also more aware of the huge amounts of packaging that I was bringing home each week from the grocery store, as well as the ends of fruits and veggies that sometimes languished in the back of my fridge. I started to plan meals and snacks more carefully and freeze leftovers. I generally reduced and reused wherever possible — and it really did make a difference in the number of bags being added to our pile.

What about you? Did the strike make you change your garbage habits?

Poll results: Buying local

Buying local is an ever-growing movement, from the freshest fruits and veggies to clothes and home decor. Our story last week dished on some of the great Canadian-made goodies for your home, so we asked if Yourhomers are making an effort to furnish and decorate their homes with local products.

Being the lazy days of summer, the poll wasn't terribly popular - hauling in less than 20 votes - but, I'll share the results anyway:

64 per cent of respondents said no, they don't look to locally made home products, while just over a third, at 36 per cent, said they do make an effort to source items locally.

This week we're looking to cottage country, well, sort of. We've got a look at couples who are living the cottage life in a trailer on a waterfront lot, and ask whether you'd want to swap out your cottage for this cheaper, low-maintenance alternative? Cast your vote in the front page poll.

And, don't miss Colin and Justin's transformation from cluttered to Colonial, tips on where to find design and reno advice and a look at what's considered when naming streets.