Happy Friday! Today I wanted to share a project that I've become passionate about this past year, our Little Free Library!
After baby girl was born last year, we started walking way more in our neighborhood. Lucky for us, there are a bunch of little free libraries that we can walk to, and stopping at them became something to do on those walks. I usually had a small stash of books in the bottom of the stroller, ready to swap out for something! The libraries brought me so much joy, I realized how much I'd like to have one of our own!
We have a lot of walking traffic in front of our house, so I knew it would be a good spot for one! Unfortunately I was very short on time with a new baby and wasn't sure how I was going to manage to make one. I'm grateful that my Dad stepped in and took this project on for me! We worked together to come up with a design and he built it over the winter.
This Spring I put the finishing touches on it and we installed it. I also took it as an opportunity to expand my garden in this area, which is now the "Library Garden". It's growing in nicely, although there are a few things I need to swap out that aren't super happy.
I love being a little library steward. It's so fun to see people in our neighborhood interact with it. I try to keep the bottom shelf stocked with kids books and activity/coloring books, while the top shelf is for adult books. It's added to by passersby regularly, and I thrift a lot of books for it. The Goodwill Outlet here sells kids books for $.38 and adult books for $.68, so it's inexpensive to keep a stash of books on hand to keep the library full. I love the excuse to save books from the landfill!
Have a Great Weekend!
This is so great! How fun to be able to participate in the neighborhood. You may have to start a book club if you haven't already. Maybe a book club for children? Great way to meet other families.
ReplyDeleteOh, now isn't that just wonderful--we have one Little Free Library station near the beach entrance in the town right next to us (where, incidentally, we used to live). I frequent it a lot and put in lots of books and also sometimes make great finds. We live on a cul-de-sac that is very quiet and so, not much traffic, foot or otherwise (as it is at the top of a hill that not many want to climb up it. hahaha)
ReplyDeleteJust such a lovely thing to do...thanks heavens for Dads, huh? Gotta love 'em;))
hugs, Julierose
how very lovely jeni. you are such a kind hearted person and i really enjoy your posts. and there's your sweet bunny being the guardian of your little library.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are enjoying your LFL! It looks great. Love the little bun hanging out nearby.
ReplyDeleteI love this so much! It makes me want to have a lil free library too. It lights a light in my heart also to see the flag you've got out front of your house. The online quilting space can be...less than welcoming for queer and trans quilters like me, and it really matters that you show your colors. Particularly while there is so much legislation passed to criminalize our care, our existence, etc. <3
ReplyDeleteThank you for reaching out! I want everyone to feel welcome here (and in our neighborhood)!! <3<3
DeleteBig smiles here! I am ALL about this Free Library! How awesome of you to spread literature to anyone who stops by. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteI'm a pretty big user of our local little free libraries and would love to have my own. We are currently renting but maybe should just go for it and hope that even if we weren't here it would be kept up. I bet your neighbors enjoy how well you take care of it!
ReplyDeleteI love visiting the little free libraries when I visit my daughter in Denver; I usually have a book to donate that I am reading as I travel... yours is lovely - great job and great community service. I would love to have one too but we are on a street of just a few homes and it would not have much traffic. Enjoy!
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