Category Archives: Family Fun

Create a Handy Gift-Wrap Center

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Warner-Groves-at-Morrison-Ranchwrap-room-webAre you wondering what to do with that extra wall in your laundry room, garage or den? Here’s a great idea that is as useful as it is decorative: create a gift-wrap center. Start by installing several large peg boards. This display, visible at the Fulton Home models in Warner Groves at Morrison Ranch, used some nice wood to frame them, making the boards look finished. You can prime and paint the peg boards to match the colors in the room.

To hang the wrapping paper, you can use closet or curtain rods, set at the right width. These rods are mounted on the wood frames, making them as easy to hang as they would be on any wall. In this room, they chose to hang three rods, but you could easily fit six or even seven rods, giving you a nice choice of wrapping paper. Hooks set into the peg board on either side of the paper hold ribbon and bags.

You could put your scissors and tape in a container on the counter and store tissue paper and other package materials in drawers or baskets under the counter. This is also a great room for storing note paper, greeting cards and address lists.

When special holidays roll around, simply change out the every occasion paper for suitable gift wrap and you have your wrapping station ready. Tune your radio or iPad to holiday carols to put you in the mood and you’re all set!

Cozy Lounge

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Cooley-Station-089-web - CopyHaving a living space up on the second floor right by the bedrooms makes sense. This cozy area, from the Sunset model in Cooley Station, provides an inviting space for lounging in the evening, watching TV, or just talking together.

This second-floor lounge is perfect for so many things. Parents with small children can relax here after a long day, taking a few minutes for themselves after the kids are asleep. Yet still being handy if someone has a bad dream or needs a glass of water. Teenagers can hang out here in a space separate from the rest of the house yet close by when it’s time for dinner. Or maybe you need a break from your day. This nook is a great spot to read a book, curl up and watch a favorite television show, or just nap on the sofa.

If you sew or have a hobby, this space is perfect to assign as you wish for working on a project. And everything is upstairs and out of the way of the rest of the family.

The colors of this room, rust and navy, work so well together. Using a strong rust-toned focal wall sets the stage for a space that’s not afraid of color. As a separate area, this lounge provides the opportunity to be daring and bring in colors that may not be part of the rest of your home decor choices.

To see this space in person, we invite you to visit our models in Cooley Station. We think you’ll find a lot to like there.

 

An Upstairs Balcony to Enjoy

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Cooley-Station-093-webMost of us appreciate outdoor living. A front porch or back patio make spending time outside more enjoyable, particularly with an overhead roof to provide shade from the Arizona sun. But what about having an outdoor living space upstairs? Here are some of the advantages:

Privacy: Most people don’t look up. With this balcony tucked away at the corner of your home, you can enjoy outdoor time without drawing attention. There’s also just enough room for you and your spouse or significant other. Here’s a nice opportunity to get away together, just the two of you, for a few minutes in the day.

The view: Whether you’re facing East or West, you will be able to enjoy a birds-eye view of the sunset or sunrise every day. With a second-story balcony you have a vista when you’re outside. While this photo was taken during construction, soon the view will include a well-settled neighborhood with green belts and other amenities.

Morning coffee break: With a balcony just outside your master bedroom, it’s easy to step outside in the morning to drink a cup of coffee, maybe read the [paper, and plan your day. Everything is better when you’re outside.

Evening relaxation: Spending a bit of time outside before bed can help relax you and enable you to let go of the stresses of the day. No need to worry about daytime clothes. Instead get into comfy PJ’s and have a seat, maybe with a cup of chamomile tea, and breathe deep. You’ll feel better and more able to fall asleep.

However you use this balcony, it gives you another outdoor space – cozy and personal – providing another way to enjoy the best of Arizona outdoors.

Personalize Valentine’s Day

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heart-762564_1280What do you do for Valentine’s Day with your spouse or significant other? Do you exchange cards or maybe go out to dinner? Perhaps flowers and candy show up at your home. But this year, how about personalizing your Valentine’s Day celebration? Here are a few suggestions to make your celebration extra special.

Revisit a special place: Did you meet at a party, an event or even just a grocery store? How about taking a trip back to that location to revisit those memories? You could have dinner at the restaurant where you held your wedding reception or rehearsal dinner. Or maybe you just remember a special day you’d like to re-experience. You can talk about it ahead of time or just make the plans to surprise your partner. Be careful not to make it a contest to see how much he or she remembers, though. This is a trip down memory lane, not a quiz.

Plan a special indoor picnic: Throw a tablecloth and some pillows on the floor and plan a meal of finger foods. Use candlelight to add to the ambience. Add a bottle of wine or a favorite drink. You can sprinkle fresh flower petals on the cloth and be sure to add a favorite chocolate dessert.

Make your own Valentine card: You don’t have to be an artist to draw a heart. More important, use this opportunity to tell your partner at least some of the most important reasons you’re glad to have him or her in your life. Because that’s what Valentine’s Day is really about, after all.

A Child’s Valentine

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valentines-day-1182245_1280As adults, we may think of Valentine’s Day as a day for romance, with our significant other if we have one, or with frustration at the absence of romance if we don’t. But we tend to ignore celebrating Valentine’s Day with our children.

Of course, even little ones can get caught up in whether their current crush will notice them on the day, but you have the power to make it special no matter what with just a little effort on your part. Here are a few tips to make Valentine’s Day special for you and your child or children.

Send them a Valentine: If your child or children look forward to getting mail, it may be worth the cost of a stamp or two to actually mail a card to each child. If the mailbox process itself isn’t important, set the cards at the breakfast table for opening first thing in the morning. Make the cards special by writing something personal about why you love them using a specific example.

Add a Valentine treat to their lunchboxes. This could be a heart-shaped cookie or some heart chocolates wrapped in red foil. It would also be nice to add a note with another reason why they’re special to you. It’s easy to get too busy to tell our children how much we value them. Valentine’s Day gives you a chance to do so.

Plan a Valentine dessert for dinner. Maybe it’s a heart-shaped cake from the bakery or a favorite treat with a few conversation hearts sprinkled on top. Or you could just make hot chocolate and serve it with a construction paper heart tied to the handle of the mug. Present the dessert to each child with a kiss.

In one day you have three opportunities to tell your children you love them. And that way when life gets busy again, they know that you think they are important, and that they are your favorite Valentines every day of the year.

Outdoor Entertaining

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outdoor-entertainingwThe weather will be warming up shortly and we’ll be rolling right into outdoor party season, so here are a few ideas to make your outdoor events shine.

Seating: Look for ways to provide plenty of seating. From large tables that encourage groups to gather to a scattering of a few chairs here and there for smaller conversational opportunities, be sure to make seating available. Take advantage of your current outdoor furniture, but consider bringing out folding chairs or buying some less expensive resin outdoor pieces that can be stacked out of sight when not needed. Notice also that the water feature and planter provide plenty of room for guests to perch on the edges, a nice bonus from this lovely focal point.

Food and Drinks: People don’t realize that the sun can dehydrate them even in cooler weather. Be sure to provide plenty of food and various types of drinks. Consider offering spring water with slices of lemon and lime or a favorite combination of cucumber and mint infused water to make it even more tempting.

Shade: Many people can handle only a short time in the sun before they start to burn, and once again that’s easier to forget in cooler weather. Provide plenty of shady areas for people to retreat to before sunburns become an issue.

An Indoor Alternative: Some people would rather not spend much time outside due to allergies or other reasons. Be sure to open some of your home for those people who would rather gather indoors. Also make sure people know which restrooms are available for guests.

Your home’s outdoor area can really expand the square footage available for your next party. These steps will help make your outdoor event a success.

Cozy Guest Room Doubles as Lounge

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cozy-guest-room-doubles-as-loungewIf you have family and friends who enjoy visiting, particularly when the weather is wintery where they live, having a guest room makes everyone feel welcome. But that’s a lot of space to sacrifice for just a few weeks of use a year. Consider using it as an additional lounging space for family members the rest of the time.

This comfy guest room from the Capital model at Seaboard in Cooley Station has everything needed to make a house guest feel right at home. The bed is roomy and set up with a nice quilt and extra pillows and the desk includes a comfy chair for reading or writing smug postcards or Facebook posts to people back home in colder climates. There’s also a nice lamp for reading. The dark brown walls add to the warmth of the room.

Then once your guests are gone, this room can become an extra space for any family member who wants to relax and spend some alone time. Maybe it works for your high-school student who needs to finish a paper or study without distractions or a parent who wants some quiet time before dinner. It might be the right spot for a few of the junior-high set to plan a party or for mom to sit alone while penning a thank-you note to a favorite aunt.

Having an extra space for relaxing, thinking, reading or chatting that’s set a bit away from the rest of the living space can be nice at times. And this guest room is the perfect opportunity to create a room for this type of double duty.

Inviting Space for Family to Gather

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inviting-space-for-family-to-gatherwWhen you’re choosing your next home, be sure to look at more than room size, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and the amount of storage. Take the time to think about how you and your family will really use the home.

Do some members of your family work from home or have demanding school requirements? Then be sure that you have planned for space that allows them to work or study quietly with minimal distractions. Do you and your spouse enjoy having a cup of coffee together in the morning to discuss the day’s plans or maybe a quiet conversation in the evening to relax before getting ready for bed? You may want to take the time to scope out where you can comfortably have that rendezvous.

And if your family values its together times around meals, this kitchen and dining area may be ideal for you. With island seating for quick short-order-cook breakfasts and a roomy table near the kitchen for full-scale family-style dining, this space is suited to whatever meal patterns your family finds comfortable.

Does everyone gather, working together to get dinner ready? There’s plenty of room and counter space for lots of helpers. Maybe some of the younger ones are up for after-school snacks. That island is the perfect place to munch while sharing highlights of the day with other family members.

There’s plenty of space, plenty of light and plenty of seating for everyday eating and larger holiday events. How about staging a buffet on that lovely island? Take a closer look at this kitchen, designed with socializing in mind, at Fulton Home’s Cooley Station community.

The Delight of Extra Storage

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extra-storage-webWhen you invest in a new home, one smart decision involves the choice to install additional built-in storage. Drawers and cabinet options such as this one can be used in so many ways; you will never regret any extra storage you give yourself.

This smart compact storage area can be used to store craft tools, for wrapping gifts, seasonal decorations, office or homework supplies, home maintenance essentials or anything you want. The biscuit-colored cabinetry is enhanced with a caramel glaze, creating an old-fashioned look that is easy-clean and inviting.

This could be space to store platters and bowls for special entertaining – those items that are too large for regular family gatherings. Or maybe it’s the perfect place for treasured table linens inherited from your mother or grandmother. Wrapped in acid-free tissue, they will be ready for special holiday use.

How would you use this storage space? For a closer look, visit our Peninsula models at our Oasis at Queen Creek Community.

 

Hang Out in this Kitchen

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hang-out-in-kitchenw

One advantage to an open living space is the opportunity it gives you to spend time as a family. This cozy kitchen from the Capital model at Seaboard in Cooley Station is well set up for chatting with family and friends while cooking.

The island has plenty of room for a couple of kids to sit at the end and talk over their day while munching on an after-school snack. No worries about their tendency to kick into the island base with a tile background that is sturdy enough to take a licking from a shoe or two. And at the same time, that mosaic adds a splash of style to the entire space and links the island to the backsplash.

The granite countertop certainly has an edge that looks made for leaning against if you have party guests who are noshing on your appetizer assortment while catching up with you and each other. Just add a couple of trays of cheese and crackers, maybe a little fruit, and you’re all ready for company in this kitchen. The pendant lights add style and ambience while being set high enough not to interfere with conversations.

And if you have a surprise dessert, how about just tucking it in that pantry of yours? After dinner you can sneak in there and pull out your masterpiece, hidden until you want it to appear. By the way, the pantry is also a perfect place to hide all the containers from the other food that you don’t want visible to visitors.