OUR STORY

Meet the Scotts

Meet the Scotts

Hey there! We're Doug and Brittany and we live just outside of Atlanta, GA with our two daughters. [2021 UPDATE: Well, one of our daughters has flown the coop to college ... but we still consider her ours!]

In some ways we're your typical suburban family. In other ways, not so much — cue  the chickens, watch out for the bees, enjoy a ride on one of our three tree swings, and grab your basket to harvest some fruits and veggies.

But it hasn't always been that way.

FrontPorchProject-210_BackPorchCrop5

A few years after we renovated the interiors of our 1960s ranch, when our girls were probably six and three years old we paused to to take stock of our life and consider our family story — what it revealed about us and the life we were living ... and what it was telling others.

We felt that our life at home had become chaotic, marked by a lot of coming & going and lacking much intention. So we began to make changes to simplify things and bring life back home. Among other things, we turned our attention outside with the goal of effectively extending the walls of our house into our yard.

Now, the change didn't happen overnight. But over time we transformed what was once an overgrown mess into a series of outdoor spaces that reflect who we are & how we want to live.

Simply put, we redeemed our ground.

And that's what we'd like to help y'all do, too — redeem your ground. From sharing helpful information, resources, or inspirational stories on our blog to creating a conceptual design for your outdoor spaces through our exterior design studio, our hope is that we can play a small part in your personal ground redemption story.

So that's our story. What's yours?

Take care,

RYG-blog-share-your-stories-signature-1

[To learn more, check out the episode of Growing a Greener World where our story was featured ... or the article in Southern Living about our backyard transformation.]

OUR STORY

Meet the Scotts

Meet the Scotts

Hey there! We're Doug and Brittany and we live just outside of Atlanta, GA with our two daughters.

In some ways we're your typical suburban family. In other ways, not so much — cue  the chickens, watch out for the bees, enjoy a ride on one of our three tree swings, and grab your basket to harvest some fruits and veggies.

But it hasn't always been that way.

FrontPorchProject-210_BackPorchCrop5

A few years after we renovated the interiors of our 1960s ranch, when our girls were probably six and three years old we paused to to take stock of our life and consider our family story — what it revealed about us and the life we were living ... and what it was telling others.

We felt that our life at home had become chaotic, marked by a lot of coming & going and lacking much intention. So we began to make changes to simplify things and bring life back home. Among other things, we turned our attention outside with the goal of effectively extending the walls of our house into our yard.

Now, the change didn't happen overnight. But over time we transformed what was once an overgrown mess into a series of outdoor spaces that reflect who we are & how we want to live.

Simply put, we redeemed our ground.

And that's what we'd like to help y'all do, too — redeem your ground. From sharing helpful information, resources, or inspirational stories on our blog to creating a conceptual design for your outdoor spaces through our exterior design studio, our hope is that we can play a small part in your personal ground redemption story.

So that's our story. What's yours?

Take care,

RYG-blog-share-your-stories-signature-1

[To learn more, check out the episode of Growing a Greener World where our story was featured ... or the article in Southern Living about our backyard transformation.]

Vine_Center_Gold

Posts that have something to do with Our Story ...

Our 1960s Ranch Renovation: Interiors #3 | Great Room Remodel

By Doug Scott

Besides maybe what we did in our kitchen (see upcoming Post #4), the greatest impact from a visual and functional perspective of our 1960s ranch renovation was the transformation of our small den into a Great Room. Super-Size It! As you read in Post # 1 of this…

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Redeem Your Ground | www.RedeemYourGround.com

Redeem Your “Ground” … While You Can!

By Doug Scott

(NOTE: At first blush you may think that this post has nothing to do with redeeming your ground. But, at the risk of sounding overly dramatic, it has everything to do with why it’s so important to redeem your ground while you can. Besides, writing this post has…

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Our 1960s Ranch Renovation: Interiors #2 | Foyer Remodel

By Doug Scott

In my last post on our 1960s ranch renovation I teased you with a pic of our renovated kitchen. Well … you’re gonna have to wait to read about & see more of that transformation. Instead, we’re going start the renovation posts by bringing you through our front…

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Our 1960s Ranch Renovation: Interiors #1 | The History & Whys for Renovating

By Doug Scott

When we did our post on the renovation of our front elevation (Rebirth: Our 1960s Ranch House Renovation) we had no idea how many people would ask about the interiors. So we decided to tell the “interior renovation story” through a series of posts. Some may ask how…

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So Why the 2-Year Hiatus from RYGblog?!?

By Doug Scott

Hey friends, I’m really excited that we’re finally in a place to be able to reconnect with you! First of all, as I ended my email announcing the “re-start” of Redeem Your Ground, I want to thank you for sticking with us.  As many of you have lived…

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Redeem Your Ground Blog 2.0

By Doug Scott

After an almost 18-month hiatus from the blogosphere we’re excited about the eventual relaunch of the Redeem Your Ground blog! We apologize for not having posted anything new in a vehhhry loooonnnngg time…and we’re even sorrier if you tried to post a comment or emailed us and it…

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Rebirth: Our 1960s Ranch House Renovation | Transforming the Front Elevation

By Doug Scott

Curious about our 1960s ranch house renovation? Well we’ve found that our fellow ground redeemers are … because you’ve asked. We also realized that most of our posts featuring what we’ve done with our outdoor spaces have focused on our back yard … where there’s little evidence of…

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Family Valentine's Day Activity...Family Love Notes - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

Family Valentine’s Activity – Family Love Notes

By Doug Scott

Alright, Valentine’s Day is almost upon us…again…so I thought I’d share something with y’all that we do to make it an occasion that our whole family enjoys.  As with most of our family traditions I can’t take any credit for it. Britt…being the words of affirmation kinda girl…

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RYG & GGWtv - Redeem Your Ground on Growing a Greener World TV

The Redeem Your Ground Story on Growing a Greener World [& Bloopers]

By Doug Scott

October is here…and I am so very thankful. Exhale. These past 12 months or so have seemed like an all-out sprint on a number of fronts at casa de Scott…often leaving me with the feeling that I’m barely keeping up. [Hence fewer posts and more re-posts. Sorry!] Exhale.…

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I'm So Glad It's October - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

I’m So Glad It’s October!

By Brittany Scott

I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. Oh Anne Shirley…I couldn’t agree with you more!  I completely share your sentiment!  October is THE BEST!  It is a much anticipated month for me…probably because fall is my most favorite season and October ushers in…

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Father's Day for the Gardening Dad - Redeem Your Ground & Monrovia | www.RedeemYourGround.com & www.Monrovia.com

Father’s Day for the Gardening Dad

By Doug Scott

Gardening isn’t just a hobby for me – it’s a passion that both stirs me and grounds me…connecting me to nature’s honest rhythms and to what was best about my childhood. This deep love for the outdoors and gardening began when I was a boy… …transplanting perennials from…

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Redeem Your Ground on the Living Homegrown Podcast | RYGblog.com

Hey…RYG is on the Living Homegrown Podcast!

By Doug Scott

Hey…I’m excited to share with y’all that just last week I was interviewed by my friend…Theresa Loe, to be on her award-winning Living Homegrown Podcast.  And it just went live yesterday (link below). Who’s Theresa Loe? I’ve introduced you to Theresa before on several other posts, but in case you…

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RYG 2016 Year In Review - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

RYG 2016 in Pictures … What a Year It Was!

By Doug Scott

I’m still not certain if all this social media shtuff is a net-good-thing or not. Which is quite ironic given that I’m relying on social media to reach you … and it’s partly the foundation on which I’m trying to build Redeem Your Ground. Oh the tension of…

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RYG 2016 Year In Review | Family Veggie Garden - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

RYG’s Gonna Be On TV Y’all!

By Doug Scott

Probably as is the case with you, these past few months have been a blur at casa de Scott. With all the end-of-school festivities and summertime activities it’s hard to believe that it’s already the middle of July and school’s going to start in just a few weeks!…

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Slow Down by Nichole Nordeman ... Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

“Slow Down” … by Nichole Nordeman

By Doug Scott

A dear friend shared this song with me recently and I wanted to share it with you. Although I’m certain that the target audience is moms, I think any parent…mom or dad…or anyone really, could get something out of it (i.e., I’m not turning in my “man card”…

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RYG 2016 Year In Review - Featured in April 2017 Southern Living | Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

Redeem Your Ground® in Southern Living®!

By Doug Scott

It’s been a long-time coming…but it’s finally here! The April 2016 issue of Southern Living®! And Redeem Your Ground® & our back yard is featured in it! It is so crazy to see your very own back yard…much less your mug…in the glossy pages of a magazine. And Southern…

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Southern Living Photo Shoot - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

Strep Throat, Bronchitis, and Southern Living ®

By Doug Scott

Well…that’s probably the first time you’ve ever seen those three things on a list together. Clearly, “one of these things is not like the other” (more on that below). But what they all do have in common is that they’ve kept me from writing my weekly RYGblog posts.…

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Garden Bloggers Conference...Hall of Fame Award Winners - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

And the Winner for Best New Garden Blog is…

By Doug Scott

…Redeem Your Ground! That’s right…we won Best New Garden Blog at the 2015 Garden Bloggers Conference last week…whoop, whoop! Unfortunately we weren’t able to be there to receive the award in person…but I asked fellow chicken-lover and blogger friend Deb Neyens (Counting My Chickens) to let me know once…

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Growing a Greener World & Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

[EXCITING NEWS] RYG Is Joining the “Growing a Greener World” Team

By Doug Scott

2015 is stacking up to be an exciting year for us over here at RYG. First…we became a finalist for several of the Hall of Fame Awards at the 2015 Garden Bloggers Conference*. And now…today’s exciting news is…I’ve been asked to join the team over at Growing a…

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Top Garden Blogs 2015 | Garden Bloggers Conference Hall of Fame Awards - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

Top Garden Blogs

By Doug Scott

Hey Ground Redeemers…so on my Garden Trends 2015 post from last week I mentioned that we had some exciting news to share. Well, one very exciting bit of news is that Redeem Your Ground is a finalist in several categories of the Hall of Fame Awards at this year’s Garden…

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Merry Christmas from Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

Merry Christmas from the Scotts & RYGblog

By Doug Scott

Britt, the girls…furry, feathered, and otherwise…and I want to wish y’all a very Merry Christmas. We also want to thank you for letting us share some of our ground redemption efforts and stories this past year. We hope that somewhere along the way that we’ve either helped or inspired…

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Christmas Tree Trimming - Redeem Your Ground - RYGblog.com

Deck the Halls…Scott Family Christmas Traditions

By Brittany Scott

It’s definitely looking a lot like Christmas in our home…and I love it!  I just love how our home transforms during this special time of year.  In the early morning and late evening, I love sitting and gazing at everything as I reflect on the joy of Christmas! We…

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Gratitude Challenge - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

Caution: Abusing Gratitude Could Be Life Threatening

By Doug Scott

As we shift our thoughts and energy from Halloween costumes and candy to Thanksgiving and times with family, I thought this post that I found on my friend Kelly Flanagan’s blog UnTangled was particularly timely. [Credit for featured photo above: Jamie In Bytown via Compfight cc] Until a few years ago,…

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15 Things Dads of Daughters Should Know - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

15 Things All Dads of Daughters Should Know (by Justin Ricklefs)

By Doug Scott

All month I’ve been seeing this post shared on Facebook titled 15 Things All Dads of Daughters Should Know…but it wasn’t until my childhood best friend and fellow dad-of-a-daughter sent it to me directly that I read it. And as a dad of 2 amazing daughters…if I do say so…

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Redeem the Meaning of Beauty - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com & drkellyflanagan.com

Redeem the Meaning of “Beauty” for Your Girls [From Dr. Kelly Flanagan, UnTangled]

By Doug Scott

To celebrate the Fourth of July Britt, the girls and I spent the weekend with my in-laws at their lake house.  It’s actually more of a down-home, shabby-chic fishing cabin…and for me it’s one of the most relaxing places on earth – simple, cozy, slamming screen door, and…

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Redeem Your Day - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

Redeem Your Day

By Doug Scott

This weekend was bittersweet.  Sweet in that Sunday was Father’s Day and I was showered with love and attention by Brown & Littlest One…and Britt.  It was really great…soul-filling…affirming…and so rich. I’m blessed. Bitter in that I got the news of 2 horrible things that had happened this…

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got margin? - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

got margin?

By Doug Scott

got margin?  I don’t. But I need to.  Really, we all need to. Either real or perceived, it seems like we are all running around with very little margin.  And when we don’t have margin…or don’t feel like we do…we don’t rest, can’t rest…don’t see, can’t see…don’t feel,…

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What's Your Story - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

What’s Your Story?

By Doug Scott

Do you have the kind of friend who will really tell you like it is? Not in a jerky kind of way…well because that’s not a friend, that’s a jerk. No, I mean the kind of friend who will speak into your life in a critical, yet life-giving…

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"Redeem Your Own Self" - RYGblog.com |Tough Mudder, GA 2013 (https://toughmudder.com/mudder-nation/photos/georgia-2013)

Redeem Your Own Self…Live a Healthier Lifestyle

By Doug Scott

Today I’m going to take a break from posting about how you can redeem your ground with beautiful flowers and chickens and veggie gardens…to post on something that helped kick-start this redeem your ground journey of mine in the first place.  That was to “redeem my own self”…by…

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Where am I?

By Doug Scott

[Once again…due to Atlanta’s crazy weather, we interrupt our regularly scheduled ground redemption posts to pause…to pause and consider. WARNING: This post is a bit deeper than most…but hang in there with me.] I woke up this morning to see my world covered in a blanket of white. …

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What’s Your Family Story?

By Doug Scott

There are few things that move me more than music. Sometimes a song will just send me somewhere. And you can call me a sap, but “The House that Built Me” is one of those songs. Although Miranda Lambert didn’t write it, her performance and the words that…

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Flower Power 101: Top 4 Flower Gardening Tips ... Creeping Jenny - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

RYGblog Categories…What’s In a Name?

By Doug Scott

When Britt and I first started talking about doing a blog we knew that we had to come up with a creative way to organize our ideas that captured our passions in a memorable way.  We identified six areas in which we’d personally “redeemed our ground” at home and felt like they…

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How We’ve Redeemed Our Ground … and Will!

By Doug Scott

Winter is a unique time of year for those of us who enjoy spending a lot of time outside in our yards.  This is a common time for organizing our tools and cleaning things up, but it’s also a great opportunity to reflect over the past year’s projects,…

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