Around the House

Our nature bench

Maisie, playing dress-up.

 Homemade play-doh from this awesome recipe.

 Wikki-Stix are fun for windows, unless you wanted clean windows, then they may not be for you. 

Sugar Cookies from this delicious recipe, soft and chewy.  With frosting, even better.

Twirling Ballerina: this is what my head
feels like most days.

We all wear hats.  These are mine:

• Wife
• Mother
• Daughter
• Friend
• Teacher
• Housekeeper (don't laugh.)
• Cook
• Nurse
• Seamstress (a beginning one.)

and the list could go on.

With our move my hats have been so jumbled and I can't decide which one to wear at any one time.  I think I look like a crazy version of the Caps for Sale character and his encounter with all those monkeys.  On top of that I am suddenly opposed to clutter and not so sure how to combat it.  We are in, have been in a perpetual cycle of purging, simplifying and the saga continues.  But, where to start?  It's all in chaos and I was looking for a starting place and somehow a rabbit hole led me to this website, a place called Zen Habits and he has written an awesome list!  It's long and overwhelming and he gives a simplified version for those that can't look at all 72.  But I wanted it all so I started at number 1....

1.  Make a list of your top 4-5 important things. What’s most important to you? What do you value most? What 4-5 things do you most want to do in your life? Simplifying starts with these priorities, as you are trying to make room in your life so you have more time for these things.  

Leo Babauta, Zen Habits

 So I am not thinking about the garage and all the organizing that needs to be done (we have done enough for now), or the quilt that remains to be finished (it will be).  I am starting at the top, getting my goals down, the important things with which I can then base other choices on.  How awesome is that?  I have been making a weekly schedule so that the house stuff doesn't loom and a daily schedule so that we fit it all in, the important stuff.  The creating, the togetherness...the stuff that matters to me.  It all goes by so quickly and I don't want to miss it, and I already have so my goal is to miss less.

Right now I am sitting somewhere between four and eight on the list, working out tasks for the day, shredding my inbox down to a manageable size and trying so hard to limit my time on the computer.   I feel less overwhelmed, like I have a plan in front of me that will take me through the steps needed to get a grip on this thing called LIFE.  The last few years has taken a toll through unemployment, family health issues and now a huge move...I am trying to get my groove back, although I am not sure I possessed it to begin with.

Water fell from the sky!   So we needed to catch some, since it may be awhile before it happens again.
So thankful.

:)

A Boy's Room

I have always wanted to go all out for the kids rooms and it seems as though we always made a good attempt but it never was a finished product.  So, before we moved here I new we would have a rather neutral backdrop and I started making plans for the rooms.  For Caeden's room we picked an explorer/beach.  We didn't want to commit to too much because interests change but we felt like these themes kind of ran into each other and connect interests that we also have as a family.  It flowed.

I love the use of maps in bedrooms but we can't afford a wall mural so we are improvising, making this idea our own.

I loved this bedding from Pottery Barn and it will grow with Caeden no matter what his room can eventually turn into.

Before we moved, my friend Amanda toted her kids and my kids to her dads shop and they painted Caeden's bunk bed and dresser.  The kids loved it {it was like a dream come true for Maleiah} and it made a memory.




As it comes together I will post more!

Where We Put All the Stuff!

This is so LATE but with all the "NOT-Back-to-Schooling" I have been BUSY!



This week we are in the school room! I have seen so many fun places that people do school! We are currently using Maleiah's old room but have big plans to {hopefully} convert part of the garage so she can have her room back.

So there it is...I love the bookshelves that Justin built, they are handy for the myriad of books I tend to acquire.

Go visit Darcy's blog for MORE!!!

Menu Planning

As the school year approaches I am looking back on what I learned last year:

The family still needs to eat.

So in an attempt to not only feed them, but feed them healthy food (not takeout, I mean Taco Bell can only pass as healthy for so long...) I am making a menu. I am on the lookout for crock-pot meals and freezer meals that can be whipped up in a second (or so, 30 minutes would do the trick). I am going to also attempt to shop at the beginning of the month and in theory, not need to go to the store for the entire month. I know that it can be unrealistic, stuff happens but just think...no lines, getting kids in and out of the car, no people, no, no, no...I say YES! I will give it a shot, that can't hurt, right?

Here is the plan...

• Weeknight Thai Beef (2)
• Easy Spanish Chicken & Rice Wraps (2)
• Pot Roast
• Rotisserie-Style Sticky Chicken
• Grilled Chicken, farmer's market veggie and salad (2)
• Thai Chicken Salad Wraps
• Salmon, Green Beans and Rice Pilaf
• Meatloaf, farmer's market veggie and salad
• Pancakes (3)
• Sandwiches & fruit
• Chicken & Corn Chili & Cornbread
• Carnitas & Salad
• Penne Pasta & Chicken, Veggie and Salad
• Mediterranean Wraps
• Stuffed Peppers
• *Leftovers (4 at least)
• *Dining Out/Over at a Friends (4 at least)

I am doing some cooking today! So wish me luck!

Some Days Are Diamonds

Do you ever have one of those days where you say, "Today I was a good mom." Today was that day. We walked to the nearby creek, laid a blanket down and attempted to pick blackberries. There were none that were ripe so we ate a snack, took pictures of trees, watched the ducks, learned that water is cohesive and read four chapters of Charlotte's Web.

Bye Bye Crib

Last night Justin took down Maleiah's crib...it was bittersweet. {We probably will not have anymore of our own babies due to my last stint in the hospital but the desire to have more still lives in me.}
We are going to IKEA today to get bunk beds and moving Caeden and Maleiah into the same room. We decided to convert Maleiah's room into a schoolroom/playroom!

{This is bittersweet as well.}

• I am bummed to not give her a girly room, but uber excited to create a schoolroom
• It's temporary until we move from this house, which made it easier to make the decision.
• The schoolroom will help contain the chaos of homeschool.
• I hope that sharing a room will help Caeden and Maleiah to have fun together and build a sweet relationship although I know that there will be plenty of screaming and tears.

So as soon as I get some batteries for the camera, I will take pictures! If anyone has any schoolroom/playroom/siblings sharing a room ideas...pass them this way!

Our Schedule :)

We have needed a schedule for some time and I am really good at making schedules but not so good at implementing them. Well, I got wise and we actually started using this one! I worked on it backwards, meaning, I want the kids in bed at 8. So in order for that to happen, dinner needs to be at 5 or 5:30 so there is enough time for playing, family time, reading, pajamas and teeth getting brushed, etc....

We haven't aced the whole day but it has helped so much with staying on task and each day we get better!

9:00am:

Morning Meeting. We read books, talk about the day and do review work. This has not been all that consistent due to late sleepers, 2 year olds that HATE to sit, or attitudes that need to get checked...mine? Yes.
9:30am:

(MWF) Phonics and Writing. (TTH) Spelling and Writing
10:00am:

(MW) Art. (TTH) Science. (F) Computer Math Game
10:30am:

Snack/Break
11:00am:

Social Studies/History
11:30am:

Grammar and Copywork

12:00pm:

Break
12:30pm:

Lunch
1:00pm:

Maleiah has a nap and we do Math! This has been the biggest transition and the best for us. It was impossible to do math with Maleiah awake in the mornings. It has been so much more pleasant having the time to do it in the afternoon.

As for the rest of the day, it has been harder to maintain the rhythm but the kids are in bed by 8 most nights. :)

The Inspired Room...my new happy place :)

This is one of my new favorite blogs for decorating! She has some great photos up all about BUILT-IN storage...I love it! Just wanted to share, in case you need some inspiration. :)

More Pantry Organizing

I organized my pantry a while back and a few weeks ago I was bored so I decided to do some labeling with some extra scrap supplies I had. This is the result. :)

Getting it together FRIDAY

At least I am trying...LOL

The sink is clean and the dishwasher is going as well as the laundry.

Side note: I watched a show the other day
that said that washing your clothes in cold would do the same as washing in them
as hot and that it would save money.
So always wanting to save a buck I
decided to give it a go....with Maleiahs sheets that she soaked through last
night. I had to re-wash them because the entire load of laundry smelled like I
washed it in urine. So cold may work on some things but the germy things need
the HOT!

Anyway...I started my chicken for soup tonight and I am in the process of paying bills! I feel accomplished so far and I only have a few more important things to do. I came up with the MINIMUM 5 today. These are the 5 most important things I would like to see done each day in the house. It will probably go through some revising because I suck at boundaries. As of right now they are......

1. 
   
   Have all Beds Made
2. 
   
   Have the Dishwasher unloaded in the morning
3. 
   
   Family time activity(purposeful)
4. 
   
   Reading time with the kids
5. 
   
   Have a plan for Dinner that does NOT include take out or delivery.

Number 5 will probably change but for now it is important because I am in a funk.

What would your minimum 5 be in your home?

Home Stuff

I organized our pantry...

This used to be our hall closet and it is right next to the front door, but so is our kitchen and it is small on storage so space so we moved our jackets to the bedroom closet in one of the kids rooms. I would love to paint the inside...ORANGE! I have no idea why but it sounds like a fun color to open up to. :)

My freezer cooking worked well even though I did not get it all done. Some of it will carry over to December which is great and I will still fill the freezer before Christmas. Unfortunately, it is still easier sometimes to have dinner delivered...:)