2015 Cottage Resolutions

The Phillips Team, Cottage Real Estate

Every year at the cottage is different and each New Years, we reflect back what was particularly fun, what was exciting, what we accomplished and what we didn’t at the cottage. But, we also consider what we would do differently. For us, the cottage is a very special place, that is multifaceted. It is a place where we relax, work, putter, disengage, engage, play, socialize and have lots of awesome adventures. It is also a place where we have learned a lot about ourselves, our family and our friends. Here are some of our past and present cottage resolutions:

1. Plan Guest Free Weekends: The cottage is where we work and play. So, it is an interesting balance for us to manage our social schedule with our work schedule. For us, we are often working when our friends are wanting to play and have fun. So, we tend to schedule our time (as best we can) so that we can balance both. One way we do this is to schedule weekends with friends and family and to also make sure that we have “unscheduled” weekends where we are guest free. This leaves it open for us to enjoy some quiet time, or more likely to engage with our friends in cottage country.

2. Plan Your Projects: As with all cottages, there are always projects that you want to complete whether it be to paint a bunkie, install a new bathroom, create an outdoor shower,
fix a deck or clean up the beach. We find that it is best for us to create a wish list and then
price out the projects and/or schedule the time. We prioritize the projects, research the cost of each project in terms of dollars and/or time, create a budget, and finally create a timeline for the projects we want to complete. We also talk about whether or not we will complete a project on our own, hire some help or combine the two approaches.

3. Find a New Hobby: There are some activities that we engage in faithfully at the cottage, but each year we like to think about some new ways to spend our time. We are very active and love to be outdoors, so here are some activities and hobbies that we enjoy:
i. Stand-up paddle boarding
ii. Organic box gardening – yup, we grow our own veggies for the summer
iii. Kayaking
iv. Evening boat cruises with a cup of our favourite java
v. Hiking on our local trails – we have a quest to learn the different mushroom types
vi. Snorkelling around our local islands
vii. Finding new spots to enjoy an afternoon picnic

4. Engaging With Our Cottage Community: Gary & I are quite active in our cottage community and as a result we have met some amazing new people. We thoroughly enjoy spending time with our like-minded neighbours and engaging in activities that are unique to our neighbourhood. Perhaps this year you could consider becoming more active in your community by joining your local cottage association, creating a Facebook page that is unique to your neighbourhood, starting up a travelling dinner party, or maybe even hosting a cottage concert to enjoy local musical talent (Woods Bay Lodge  https://www.facebook.com/woodsbaylodge).

5. Find Ways to Un-complicate Cottaging: Although the cottage is our favourite place on earth, it can also be a place that requires a lot of work. But, over the past few years we have considered some ways to un-complicate things so that there is more time to just enjoy the cottage.
i.   Relax your standards and “just let things be.” Yup, a little CBT is helpful here :)
ii.  Hire a local student company such as Nikki’s Cottage Care (https://www.facebook.com/nikkiscottagecaregeobay) to help you out a bit with cottage cleaning, grass cutting, beach clean up and maintenance, and weed whacking
iii. Pre-plan your meals! We love to bar-b-que a great steak and combine it with fresh veggies
from our organic garden
iv. Ask guests to bring their own linens or sleeping bags so you aren’t left with tonnes of
laundry
v. Pot luck dinners with your neighbours is a great way to enjoy time together without it
becoming a burden

We are super excited about 2015 and are totally looking forward to hearing all about your plans for the cottage, your wonderful adventures, and all of the ways in which you choose to experience cottage country. It inspires us!

The Phillips Team