Out with the old ...

... and in with the new!

When we purchased our home, one of the features that I liked the most was the old cast iron Earth Stove in the living room.  It has a large fire box and heats well.

The problem is that it heats too well.  It didn't fit in the hearth area, nor did it meet proper clearances.  The mantle would become dangerously hot whenever we got a decent fire going.

One of our first priorities was to replace the stove with one that was safer and more efficient.  A nice bonus would be the ability to see the fire in the stove for that perfect, cozy feeling.

We finally settled on a US Stove Country Hearth 2000.  It met our budget and is rated to heat a larger space than we have.  We got the bonus of a viewing window, too!

We bought a few items to round out the purchase.  I wanted a hearth rug to keep the carpet clean and safe from sparks.  We knew we wanted a fireplace screen to keep the little ones from getting too near the stove and were happy to find one with a star to match the patriotic decor in our living room.  Dad gifted us with a new cast iron hearth tool set.  An old cast iron dutch oven holds our homemade fire starters.

We are warm and toasty this evening.  We only lack mugs of hot cocoa, which I believe we will remedy tomorrow night.