It’s been a year since Steve and I arrived in New Brunswick. And what a year it’s been! If I could describe these last 365 days in one word? Crazy. Yep, I’d have to go with crazy! This past year has really been the craziest roller coaster ride imaginable!

Life in Oromocto, New Brunswick…

…is a lot different than life in Kingston, Ontario! I’ve never lived anywhere where the population was less than 100,000, let alone 10,000! That has taken some getting used to! We pay for garbage pickup and drive our recycling to sorting bins in town. We have roundabouts and electric heating and less traffic on our morning commute. Less traffic everywhere actually! Highway driving is a breeze here! And the number one advantage to living in Oro West? We’re so close to everything we need. We love our neighbourhood and we love how central it is to all the amenities. It takes us 10 minutes to drive to work and only five or so minutes to get to the grocery store. A two minute drive takes you to the highway and another 15, you’re in Fredericton. Fredericton is a great city with lots of the things I love: craft beer, good food and green space!

What We’ve Been Up To

H O U S E  P R O J E C T S

As soon as we officially moved in, there were a few things we wanted to do right away. The number one thing being the roof! Our inspector had told us we could probably go another winter before we’d have to re-shingle but we decided to play it safe. A big cost upfront, but one I would happily make again for continued peace of mind! We were spoiled with our first winter here so I’m keeping my fingers crossed for another mild season! 

P A I N T I N G

The previous homeowners had a lot of stuff up on the walls so we plan to take our time and go from room to room, puttying and painting when the mood strikes. We chose a cooler shade for the living room since most of our furnishings and decor are on the darker side. The setup we had in Kingston above the couch is now opposite the entertainment centre and the space definitely feels more homey and lived-in now! I purchased black curtain rods from Umbra and ended up snagging thick blackout curtain panels at Bed Bath & Beyond for a steal! We’ve got a fair amount of space left on the walls and I’ve found two abstract prints online that I think will tie everything together nicely. Since the kitchen is the same colour as the living room, one will hang above the kitchen table and one on the wall between the window and TV. I want to eventually buy a ceiling fan too!

O U T D O O R  S T U F F

This one is all Steve! He has done so much work to our yard, the biggest project being the rose bushes along the side of the house. There were so many weeds! We cleared the bed, laid down weed-control fabric, black mulch and lined it with free stones off Marketplace. Truly a low-budget wonder and I think it looks really sharp! We’ve also weeded a good deal of the backyard and transplanted a burning bush in front of the deck. The next big project will be digging up the old bushes that line the back fence and replacing them with new, pretty ones! My vision for next year includes getting the hot tub serviced and buying a nice patio set for the deck. Maybe string some fairy lights?! I can already picture it now! 

T R A V E L

Before Covid-19, we managed to squeeze in a few day trips close to home. As restrictions in New Brunswick began to tighten, we were luckily able to have the girls here for March Break right before the borders closed to all non-essential travel. Soon after, I began to work from home and returned to the office a little over a month ago. Steve has had to navigate an entirely different work environment since Covid and we’re both being doubly challenged in our day to day work lives. Since July 3, the maritime provinces have been test driving an “Atlantic bubble” that allows those coming from Newfoundland, PEI, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to travel amongst the four provinces without having to isolate for two weeks. So far we’ve had very few cases, which is AMAZING! This month, we’ll finally be able to make the trip to see the girls and visit with the in-laws and grandparents. It seems like it’s been forever since we were all together and we are definitely looking forward to this holiday!

That’s all for now! I hope you all are staying safe with your loved ones and finding time for the things that bring a smile to your face. Until next time!

K