By Dave and Mary

Front Porch Appeal Newsletter

Bring On the New Year

Issue #89 January 2018

January 2018 - amazing how time flies. Mary and I hope this finds you in good health and cheer.

Lots of cold and snow across the country and we know that many porches have snow covered sleds, boots, and perhaps a pair of ice covered gloves laying about.

At least that's how our porch appeared when we were kids. We fondly remember those black rubber boots with the buckles that would always freeze!


beautiful snowy porch
Beautiful porch in the winter- photo courtesy of Linda / Edenseekr
Who remembers the snow shovel on the front porch? We surely do.

January is the perfect month to start planning your spring projects. It's time to get ideas and start nailing down exactly what type of porch you'd like on a new home or if you are remodeling your existing porch, what improvements you want to make.

Or, perhaps you are planning a new screened room or three-season porch that you've been wanting for so long.

You've come to a great starting place - right here.


snowy mittens
Wearing mittens - something most of us remember!
I remember wearing mittens that would become heavily laden with snow and ice, with my fingers freezing inside. But that usually didn't matter - we kept playing outside on the porch in the snow. Then when we went inside, we'd put them on the radiator to dry. Nice and warm for our next outing.

Do you recall memories like that from your childhood? Those porch memories warm the heart.


This is Why We Get Many Birds in the Winter

our birds enjoy our birdbath even in the winter
We have a secret for attracting birds in the winter
Our secret is keeping fresh water in our bird bath all winter - and keeping the water from freezing. How do we do that?

We're sure it's the reason we get beautiful bluebirds in the winter. Birds of all kinds really. And deer that like stop by for a drink.

Read more about our wild bird feeding station here. That's our affiliate link but same cost to you.


Valentine Day - Not Just for Lovers

shower someone you care about with pretty roses

We sometimes hear people disliking Valentine Day because they think they are left out. Perhaps they have experienced the loss of someone or they don't have a romantic interest.

But Valentine Day can be so much more. It's a day that any of us can bring cheer to a neighbor or a fellow co-worker. Or how about surprising your mail carrier with a box of conversation hearts? Or your favorite clerk? Or send a simple handmade card to someone who needs their spirits lifted.

You'll be surprised what a small act of kindness can do to enrich someone's life.

Valentine Day can be so much more than roses and chocolates. Let it be a day to share love and kindness with those in your world. Surprise someone! Try it this year. Drop by their porch with a pretty card or bless a friend with cheerful flowers from your local market.


New House Plans with Porches

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. If you make a purchase through affiliate links on our site, we earn a commission at no cost to you. See our disclosure policy.

It's always fun to look at new home plans whether you are looking for one to build or just to see new trends and designs. We love ones with porches of course. We've found some that have accompanying videos that give you a wider perspective of the plan details.

Here's a short video of one of the home plans Mary and I really like; hope you enjoy it to.



Learn more about this plan and others.


Here's another plan we discovered that has a nice open-style front porch.


ranch home plan with nice front porch
We love this nice open-style front porch - Family Home Plan 76917
We share many home plans for almost every category of architecture - enjoy.


Looking for a Contractor?

January and February are really good months to start lining up contractors to build your porch, screen porch, or other home project. Not sure exactly sure of the specifics for your project?

A good contractor can work with you to give you ideas, show you where you can save money, and help to finalize your plan in addition to providing an estimate for the work.


tape measure, square, and bin boxes on table

We recommend you get at least three estimates.

Winter Blue Have You Down?

Then add a few pops of color to your porch this winter. Adding a bit of color or creating a magical scene can perk up your spirits and those of passers-by as well.

Find many ideas in our winter porch decorating section.


Snowflake front porch
A pop of color adds lots of winter appeal
Winter beauty - snowy porch decorated lovely
An enchanting winter porch scene indeed
Winter beauty - snowy porch decorated with a vignette of birdhouses
The other side of the porch is decorated with a vignette of beautiful white bird houses



Start 2018 Well
With These Ideas from Our Sponsors

Last Porch Railings You'll Ever Need

Porch railings can significantly enhance the look of your porch and home almost instantly. Discover custom railings from The Porch Company and choose from standard designs or help create your own.

These require little to no maintenance, are extremely durable, and look fantastic.


The Porch Company custom porch railings
Install Custom Porch Railings!

Bead Board Ceiling Options

Bead board panels are a traditional and beautiful way to create an amazing porch ceiling. You can find them in wood or vinyl and they are easy to install - even on a curve.


Vintage Woodworks wood or pvc ceiling beadboard
Create an amazing porch ceiling


Meet Our New Granddog, Blue

our granddog blue
Introducing our granddog, Blue
He's quite the sweet pup, has beautiful blue eyes, is very smart, loves to cuddle, and is growing fast.

Blue even has a favorite chair on which to nap. He is becoming good friends with a cute little dog, Maggie, who lives down the street.


two dogs running through the snow

Here you see our Granddog Cisco and his friend Rua. Both passed away in 2017. They loved playing together and both lived long happy lives. They are truly missed.


We value our sponsors and the products and services they provide. They are like family to us!






You're invited to be part of our Facebook community. We share ideas with one another for decorating and using our porches. We are blessed with over 17,000 followers and would love to count you among them.


Mary and Dave Please enjoy browsing past issues of our newsletters right here. Take a few moments of chill time.

Happy porch sitting from your friends,

Mary and Dave


Life is short. Enjoy your porch.



As an Amazon Associate and Amazon Influencer, we earn from qualifying purchases. We also earn commissions from other companies where are are participants of their referral programs. Here is our full disclosure about affiliate marketing.








Mary and Dave, Founders of Front Porch Ideas and More
Hi! We're Mary and Dave, lifelong DIYers, high school sweethearts, and we both love porches. You've come to the right place for thousands of porch ideas.

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Shop for Porch Parts at Vintage Woodworks.


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Mary and Dave, Founders of Front Porch Ideas and More
Hi! We're Mary and Dave, lifelong DIYers, high school sweethearts, and we both love porches. You've come to the right place for thousands of porch ideas.
--- Our Sponsors ---
Use the PCA Visualizer to design your screen door

Shop for Porch Parts at Vintage Woodworks.

The Porch Store

--- End Sponsors ---


Our Newsletter, Front Porch Appeal
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Thank you for being here!


small rocking chair
At no extra cost to you, we earn a commission by referring you to some products on merchant sites. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. As an Amazon Influencer, we earn from qualifying purchases. See our disclosure policy.
We, Front Porch Ideas and More, confirm, as stated on our privacy policy, that we do not sell personal information.

All content here is solely for presenting ideas. We recommend consulting with a licensed, experienced contractor before you begin your project.
We make no guarantees of accuracy or completeness of information on our site or any links to other websites contained here.


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