The Official Fan Page

We bought some fans! (See what I did there?)

All things being equal, I'd rather have a nice light fixture because I think they look a lot nicer, but after living in the South for over a decade... we sure do appreciate having a ceiling fan when the weather is hot and sticky. Plus, a typical central A/C unit uses 3,500 watts while running, whereas a typical ceiling fan uses 60 watts, even on high... so this frugal and environmentally minded mama is willing to compromise. We're putting fans in the two rooms we anticipate using the most often, the master bedroom and the living room.

J turned out to be far more opinionated on ceiling fans than I ever thought possible. I'm partial to the schoolhouse lighting kits, but it was a no go for J. Pinterest boards were created. Reviews were compared. Airflow was compared. In the end, we selected this bad boy, the 52" Casa Compass ceiling fan in brushed nickel:

It clocks in at 71 watts, and has an airflow of 6,371 cubic feet per minute. We weren't in any hurry to buy these seeing as how the house isn't built yet, but LampsPlus had these discounted by an extra 20% until June 7, so what the heck. (Speaking of my frugal side, I should point out that they don't honor discount codes on items that are already on sale.)

It was a learning experience to discover that a lot of fans, even some of the high end ones, don't come with a remote. If you have tall ceilings, using a pull chain is a total pain, and in the bedroom it's nice to turn out the light or adjust the fan speed without getting out of bed. You can buy remotes super easily BUT know that the fan needs to have extra room in the canopy (the part that houses the light and blades) to smush the receiver in there.

What about you? Do you plan to put in a ceiling fan?

First Furniture Purchase for the New House

Time seems to be ticking away interminably while we wait for Ryan Homes to break ground, but RH hosted a little block party last weekend, and it was so much fun to meet future neighbors! I even met two sets of neighbors that will live in my little townhouse block, which was great. I think we're all impatient for things to get going.

In other house related news, we bought our first piece of furniture for the house! We wanted a cozy chair for the room that we'll use as our office, but we also wanted something that could double as an extra bed when we have a full house. Daybeds look pretty, but it would have been too big in a relatively small room.

Enter Crate & Barrel's Oxford Twin Sleeper:

The chair's actually a Craigslist find. Both Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel have twin sleepers that are really well reviewed, so we set up a search alert to see if any happened to pop up for sale. I did think twice about getting something upholstered secondhand, but it was in immaculate condition.

The other big ticket items that are on my list are ceiling fans and a new TV. I was hoping the holiday weekend might yield some sales, but I didn't really spot anything I liked.

Your Limousine, My Dear?

Homes are selling fast!

In our community, the developer (Woodlawn Development Group) is required to either have a walking path in place or hire a shuttle bus service to the metro station by the time they issue the 200th building permit.

Well, guess what came before the city council on April 13? Hiring a shuttle bus service! The proposal was for Reston Limousine to provide weekday service during peak commuting times, from 6:30 to 9:30 am and from 4:30 to 7:30 pm.

In related news, I guess there's some dispute about where the walking path to the metro should actually go. The Greenbelt News Review reported that a potential easement for the FBI headquarters "would not permit the proposed hiker/biker trail connections approved in detailed site plans for Greenbelt Station" (p. 5).

I'm all for the FBI next door... but let's be clear, we called dibs on the land first, suckers!

Just Your Average Day at Work

No progress on house construction, but I did get to attend a work meeting in sunny Puerto Rico... so I think I'll still chalk this one in the W column. :)