Superhost

When we opened our B&B, we signed with a few online sites to do the websites and all the advertising.  We also set up our own website.  So far we have had a few guests from our website and a few from Vacation Rentals By Owner, or VRBO.  The majority leader of our guests have found us on Airbnb.

Airbnb is a fun site to search.  In fact, I told a friend about it and she called me and complained, because she had been on the site for hours, having way too much fun.  Anyone with a room or a trailer out back or even an air mattress on the floor can list what they offer and what they want to charge for guests.  If you think it is a good deal, a connection is made.

In our case, we are one of the many commercial sites that use Airbnb to drive business to our B&B or vacation rental.

We recently got an email that congratulated us on achieving Superhost status.  This means Airbnb places this symbol at the bottom of our page.



It shows that we have a minimum of 10 guests a year, we have fast responses to inquiries and get good reviews from our guests.  So far we have had only great reviews.  On the otherhand, we have had only great guests!

So if you are looking for a place to stay, from a REAL bed and breakfast to an apartment that is used just for short term rentals or just a spare room in a house, check out Airbnb.  And look for the Superhost designation.  It is your assurance of a fine experience.

Between A Rock And A Flagstone

I have wanted to finish the entrance to the B&B.  It originally had some flagstones that were widely spaced with red dirt in between.  This made a bit of a mess when it rained.  It rained over 50 inches last year.  That's a whole lotta mess.

We asked a local contractor to build a covering over the doors and he did a nice job.  Now it was our turn to finish the path.  He would have poured concrete for us, but I worried that there may be water issues with concrete.  I wanted a more porous surface so water could drain, yet have a hard surface for people to approach the front doors.

 

We decided to shift the flagstones closer together and so we needed more of them to fill in the spaces left behind.  We leveled them without using sand, a level and screeding under the flagstones because we are lazy.

 

Next we dug around the flagstones to allow for a few inches of crushed rock.   We placed treated 2x4s along the sides of the path to hold the rock in place.  Lee cut and pounded in some wooden stakes to hold the wood in place and then screwed the stakes to the boards.

 

We went to the Landscape Store and got a ton of crusher run (also called crush and run) in the back of the pick up.  You heard me, a ton.  So no wondering why my hands are hurting this morning.  Crusher run is crunched up rock of various sizes, all the way down to powder.  This allows it to compact and get quite hard, yet it allows water to soak through.  It is frequently used for driveways. 

 

Lee filled the Mule and drove to where I was waiting and dumped it a small load at a time.  The truck is too big to get through the gates.  The dump bed on the Mule is a great help in these kind of projects.

 

We had enough leftover to spread around the water room door and the flagstones we put there.  When we bought the house there was nothing in front of the water room door and dirt splashed up on it every time it rained.  We hope this will make it dryer and cleaner in there.

 

We may add another ton or so to the side path.  We hadn't planned on it as it isn't the main entrance, but now it looks like we forgot something.

 

This project took three days, what with driving back and forth to the Landscape Store for stones and crushed rock.  But mostly because we had to stop and go volunteer at the library for a few hours, give blood in the bloodmobile there and ....wait for it...prepare for our second group of guests!  Yay for Airbnb!

We still need about 4 truck loads of mulch around all of the gardens and we may plant some flowering plants around the entrance..

Any suggestion for flowering plants that thrive on poor soil and benign neglect?

Our First Guests

We just had our first official B&B guest.  We have had friends and family stay with us and used them as guinea pigs for our B&B aspirations.  In our former home, we would invite the neighbors over for breakfast to practice how long meals for a bunch of people would take and to try out recipes on them. 

But now it is official. We are a working B&B.

 

Zach and Courtney were the perfect first guests, friendly, outgoing and just a lot of fun.  Airbnb allows for, and encourages, a lot of communication between hosts and guests.  Among other things, they told us that they were on their honeymoon.

A friend commented that it was "cool that the start of your new venture begins with a couple who are beginning an adventure of their own."  And I was excited to be a part of their honeymoon memories.

 

We plan on providing some sort of treat each day for all our guests, in addition to the breakfast.  But this was a special day for them, so I made chocolate dipped strawberries and then made some heart shaped linzer cookies.  Go big for a honeymoon!

 

We were absolutely thrilled when they told us the next morning that they enjoyed the place so much and wanted to stay another night.  Sure!  And then they brought a treat back for the dog.  How great is that?

Courtney and Zach are on their way home and we will clean and prepare for the next guest.  We have someone coming Sunday and I just got another inquiry.

So we are on our way.

Two Gates

We have spent the last two days spiffing up the gardens around the house.  You know, the usual clearing out of dead brush from the winter.  I trimmed a few branches from the apple trees that had so many problems from blight last year.  I will spray them later when they blossom out.

We also noticed a few problems with the gates into the B&B garden.  We are expecting our first guests through Airbnb next week and want them to have a great experience.  This includes a great entrance!

 

Lee noticed that the gates wouldn't open all the way.  Dirt and grass had built up behind it over the years, so I dug that out.

 

We had installed a gate in front of the steps when we thought it was possible to keep RJ there when we were both at work.  Each time he managed to climb out within ten minutes.  We would watch him escape from a window.  Then we would put something in that particular spot and he would go to another.  If someone wants a dog to go mountain climbing with them, we have the perfect companion!

 

He scratched the white gate and I wanted to make it pretty again.

So I sanded and spray painted it.

 

Now it looks better.  But it also looks like rain.

Spray paint dries fast, right?

Pot Roast

In between going to various doctor's appointments and physical therapy, I haven't gotten anything done.  I work a little on the quilt.  I work some on the website I am building on Wix and wonder if Go-Daddy is the better/easier site.  I have checked into Square for processing credit cards and AirBnB as a site to send guests our way.  Lots of research, no progress.   I wander to the basement and tweak or clean or look around and imagine I am a B&B guest.  What would I think?

The Health Department came and gave approval, so we just have to wait for the report and then we can get started.  I can now get the business license from the county and step back waiting for the hordes of people clamoring to stay here!

In the meantime, I made a Pot Roast in my Crock Pot

Pot Roast

Chuck Roast, about 3 pounds
1can beef broth, about 1 1/2 cups
1 packet Lipton Onion Soup mix
1/3 cup flour, optional
salt and pepper
2 large onion halved and then quartered
15 or 20 baby carrots
6 or 7 red potatoes, halved and then quartered

1/2 cup of red wine, optional

 

Trim the roast and pat it dry.  Place the flour and s&p on a dinner plate and mix.  Heat about 1 Tablespoon olive oil medium high in a large fry pan.  I used cast iron.

 

Roll the roast in the flour to coat.  If you don't choose to use four, sprinkle salt and pepper on the roast.  Brown the roast on all sides.  It should take about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.  You may have to hold it up when browning the sides.

 

Place the browned roast in the Crock Pot and turn it to low.

 

 Add the onions to the fry pan and brown a bit.  Place them in the Crock Pot and brown the carrots.  Just a few minutes to get it browned, not cooked.  Add the carrots to the Crock Pot.

 

Now deglaze the pan by adding the wine, if you choose.  You can go right to the broth if you wish.  I have some Burgundy left over from some meal or other.  I sniffed it to make sure it had not turned to vinegar and poured it in. 

 

After cooking a few minutes, I started scraping the bottom of the pan to get up all the cooked bits from the roast and the veggies.  Then I added the beef broth and let it reduce for about 5 minutes.  Add the Lipton mix and stir until dissolved.  Pour all the liquid into the Crock Pot, cover and go away for about 5 hours.

Come back to the kitchen and take a deep breath of Pot Roast flavors.  Yum!  It's only lunch so you can't have it yet, but it is time to add the potatoes.  I didn't want mushy potatoes, so I chose to add them about half way through the process.  If you have to go to work and can't add something half way through, go ahead and add the potatoes with the rest of the veggies.

Now go away for another 4 to 5 hours. 

I chose to make a gravy with some of the cooking liquid.  I just made a roux with about 2 Tablespoons butter that I melted in a pan and then added 2 Tablespoons flour.  Cook until well blended and add about 1 cup of the cooking liquid.  Don't worry if you get some of the onion bits from the Lipton's mix.  They will just add to the flavor!   Whisk until smooth and thickened.

 

This was a perfect meal for a winter day. 

 

The house smelled great and I had leftovers for sandwiches.  On the third day I chopped everything up and heated the hash in a bit of olive oil and served it with horseradish sauce on toast.  Three dinners out of the roast.  Works for me.