May 2012
Yesterday was the big ultrasound day. So we’re proud (and a little surprised!) to announce: I love link lists. There’s nothing better than word of mouth, so when a blogger recommends a recipe, a new shop or a great read, I am all about it! Here are a few things
I’ve come across this week…
1. Summer temps are here and that means Popsicles in this house! These fruity ice pops look delicious. I need to order these ice pop molds ASAP!
2. Imagine if you were forced into isolation during menstruation. No school, no income…no access to hygiene for days. It’s seems so hard to imagine, but unfortunately, this is real life for many women around the globe. Enter Days for Girls International, whose idea was simple: get washable feminine hygiene kits into the hands of women who would otherwise go without. DFG is a really neat organization and takes in all sorts of donations. Be sure to check out their Facebook page too!
3. Looks like shoes are turning out to be a weekly topic! Check out this very informative article about Comfy Mom-Friendly Shoes. I think I need a pair of TOMS and (someday when I’m rich) Frye boots.
4. On my to-try list this week: Chewy Chocolate PB Cookies and Peach Crunch Cake. Oh yum.
5. Prepare to awe and wow your kids: make gigantic bubbles using sticks and cotton string! I know my boys would love this!
6. During a late night of insomnia-induced web browsing, I stumbled upon Gap Kids and oh my word, do they have some cute little dresses for baby girls. I love this one and this one and this one too. Today is the big ultrasound day, so I don’t have long to wait to see if these will be in my shopping cart!
7. Drowning in your attempts at becoming a super-mom? Be sure to read this “Real Chat” post from Anna. Everything she said was so honest and true. Definitely a must read, mammas!
8. Etsy find of the week: clothing by Sue Bradbury! This tank dress is super cute and I think I could pull off this maxi dress even pregnant. And this hoodie sweatshirt? So comfy!
Today I’m starting a new series on the Big White Farmhouse: Getting Your House Ready to Sell! As much as we adore our sweet little home, the time has come to get it ready to put on the market. One of the big changes I’ve been referring to lately is that my husband got a new job. An awesomely great job that he deserves. But like every awesome thing, it doesn’t come without challenges. And one of those challenges is moving in this horribly awful housing market. Perfect timing, right? With Baby #4 in utero until October, we have decided to wait until the end of 2012/beginning of 2013 to put the house on the market. So that gives me 6ish months to whip this house into selling shape! Now let me be the first to tell you that I have absolutely no qualifications when it comes to house selling and I don’t really know what I’m talking about. But I do look at a lot of pretty homes in magazines and on Pinterest and I do love to research, so I’m hoping we can all learn together! So today: the dining room. Before I painted last weekend, this is what it looked like: A whole lotta red. My husband loved it, I tolerated it. But we all know Rule #1 in the Home Selling Handbook is “paint neutral colors” so the red had to go. I used YOLO Colorhouse Paint in Stone .02 that I ordered through Amazon. A couple hours later, and we had this:
HUGE difference. The room instantly felt taller and larger. But I’m not done yet! Check out what’s left on my to-do list:
I’ll be back soon with updates! Until then, what about you? Have any tips for staging a dining room?
P.S. Don’t mind the fact that one of my sweet innocent children broke one of the drawers off my antique dresser/sideboard. Jury’s still out whether I can fix it.
P.P.S. That sweet innocent child is hiding under the table. Can you see him?
Summer is here. We’ve been finished with PreK for a few weeks now and one thing is definitely clear: my kids do not do well without some structure! Without a daily routine, there’s been more bickering, more “I’m Bored” whining, and just a general lack of peace. At this pace, I’d be a mad woman by August!
So I came up with a plan. The rules were:
1. It had to be easy to implement with very little prior planning.
2. I had to use books and supplies we already own…no extra spending. (Exception: weekend “field trips” with Daddy)
Without further ado, our Summer Camp Schedule! I included my whole plan (with links!) in the hope that it may help a fellow Mamma survive the summer with little ones too.
BIRDS: June 4-8
Book: Counting is for the Birds
Craft: Cheerios Bird Feeders
Craft: Birds Nests
Activity: Angry Birds coloring pages
Activity: Make our own version of Angry Birds with blocks and balls
Field Trip: Lowes for birdseed and a new feeder
ART: June 11-15
Craft: paint rocks
Craft: Introduce a new medium to work with (clay?)
Craft: Decorate an artist’s smock with fabric paint
Activity: sidewalk chalk
Activity: Hold an art exhibit at the end of the week with all of their creations/paintings/drawings
TRAINS: June 18-22
Book: Freight Train
Craft: Toilet Paper Tube Train
Craft: Printable Paintable Train
Activity: Set up train tracks around the living room
Field Trip: Ride the train at the mall
FISH/WATER: June 25-29
Book: Swimmy
Craft: Mosaic Fish
Craft: Paper Aquarium
Activity: Math review with Goldfish Counting Mats
Field trip: Picnic lunch at the beach
OUR TOWN: July 2-6
Books: Little People: Welcome to Our Town and What do People do All Day?
Craft: Build a town out of boxes (paint or cover with paper)
Craft: Draw a map of our neighborhood
Activity: Go for a walk and do a Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt
Field trip: Visit our favorite places: library, bakery, etc.
Field trip: Find a park we’ve never visited before
ZOO ANIMALS: July 9-13
Books: TBD…we have a ton of animal books scattered around the house
Snack: animal crackers
Craft: Macaroni Lion
Craft: Paper Plate Elephant
Craft: Monkey Masks
Movie: Curious George
Field Trip: Visit the zoo
AIRPLANES: July 16-20
Book: The Little Airplane
Craft: Toilet Paper Tube Airplane
Craft: Popsicle Stick Airplane Scene
Activity: Make paper airplanes and have a flying contest
I love link lists. There’s nothing better than word of mouth, so when a blogger recommends a recipe, a new shop or a great read, I am all about it! Here are a few things
I’ve come across this week…
1. I recently saw a couple of stools similar to these at Marshalls. Oh my word, were they so cool. Industrial, yet sorta old-school vintage? Right up my alley! I’m hoping I have a place for them in my next house.
2. Who can I send this awesome gift to? With a little creativity, anything (within reason) can go in the balloons. I’m thinking little notes, quarters, stickers, and small toys. And that’s just for kiddos. I’m sure there are many Mammas who need balloon popping as a stress-reliever!
3. Per Grace‘s suggestion, I found these awesome Saltwater Sandals. The price point is much better than my previous choice and I hear the quality is superb. So excited to order once my size is back in stock!
4. I liked this list of “Easy Ways to Surprise and Delight Your Children“. Sometimes I get in a parenting rut, and these are great ideas to step up my game. It’s the little things they’ll always remember anyway, right?
5. Imagine there was a short video series that drew on the values of “working hard, being kind, helping each other, being creative, problem solving and staying positive even when frustrating things happen”. Well there is! It’s called Olive Us and the first episode is so sweet. Be sure to watch Ben Blair (aka Dad)’s video on the aim of the project. I love that his hope is to show healthy family relationships…what a pro-life and pro-family message!
6. I’ll be avoiding a bathing suit like the plague this year, but the new swimwear at Shabby Apple has me envisioning my soon-to-be slim bod (HAH) next summer. Hard to choose, but I think this one and this one are my favorites.
7. Summer is right around the corner and for many, that means the kids are home full-time. If you’re on the lookout for activities to do when the weather is blazing, look into Smart Bottom Kids. Darcy has craft kits all ready to go…no planning or running to the craft store necessary! I have my eye on the Fish Aquarium and the Window Stars for the boys.
8. Refreshing drink ideas on my must-try list: Roasted Peach Lemonade, Orange Push-Up Smoothie, and Raspberry Lemonade Slushie.
I don’t have many additional things to say about these two short chapters, but wanted to include a couple of passages because I thought they were great food for thought.
Breathing: “Over the years I have tried all sorts of solutions to the inevitable sibling battles, including forced separations, time-outs, hugs and kisses, and, at times, shouting at the top of my lungs. Breathing together works best. Now, before I will listen to either side of the story, before the argument escalates further, before I take any action at all to settle a dispute, we breathe together. I kneel down and take one child in each arm. We look into one another’s faces, we breathe long and slow and deep, we count to ten or twenty. In the process, we always seem to find in our hearts a scrap of forbearance, a shred of forgiveness–and that is the beginning of the road back to harmony.” -page 97
Healing: “…sometimes our children are really asking for more from us than a perfunctory response, and that is when we must minister not only to the skinned knee, but to an inner need as well. It does no good to advise a weeping child that the pain will go away on its own. We are mothers, after all, and it is our job to do something. And so I created the ‘hurt basket,’ a treasure chest of magical lotions, potions and healing aids. The wicker basket, stored high on a bathroom shelf, invokes a ritual–it means that time will be taken to ease a pain, that I care, that I will do my best to bring comfort. The contents of the basket change with the season: soothing throat lozenges in winter, an ‘itch eraser’ for summer’s mosquito bites. But in general we are not without peppermint foot lotion, arnica gel, witch hazel, calamine lotion…and last, but not least, a truly impressive array of Band-Aids…To an adult, a Band-Aid may be nothing but a sticky plastic strip; but to a child it is a badge of honor, imbued with magical healing properties. Be grateful and stock up.” –page 101 (emphasis mine)
1. This weekend was busy, busy. The weather was beautiful, so we decided to cram in as much as we possibly could. A trip to Lowes to pick out new hardwood floors. Lots of yardwork and playing outside. Errands and bedtime adventures to get ice cream. I even painted my dining room! It was full and fun.
2. Nine more days until we find out if a Mister or a Sister will be joining the fam. We are all excited to finally call this baby by name. And indulge me while I rant a bit: I am getting a little tired of all of the random comments from people telling me they are hoping “I get my girl” or “I know you’ll be disappointed if it’s not a girl”. I always just smile, but I find it a little heartbreaking that no one acts like they’d be excited if it was another boy (which let’s be honest, is quite possible with my previous track record). Boy #4 is just as exciting and as much of a miracle as Boy #1. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one who feels that way.
3. I am so bad about making a menu every week, but I really am trying! After a quick peek in the fridge and pantry, these are recipes I came up with (thank you, Pinterest board!)
Monday: Pork Chop Sandwiches Breakfast for Dinner Tuesday: Bacon, Egg and Cheese Ring Wedsnesday: Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps Saturday: Soccer and Family Day!
You know how much I window shop at One Kings Lane, right? I probably check the site at least once a week, always finding something I love. So when OKL contacted me with a store credit to try out the shopping experience, I couldn’t say yes fast enough!
Making a decision was hard. So hard. I finally decided on a white ceramic jar. Check out the pictures to see:
Isn’t the packaging great? Loved the simple kraft paper with the Thank You sticker.
The jar is white and ceramic. I love the unique design on the lid…isn’t it interesting? It reminded me of a stained glass window. This jar is very versatile and I can already see it being used in a number of ways: in the living room as a catch-all for keys, on my dresser for jewelry, purely as decoration on a stack of books…
Right now, I thought it was safest (away from my children – it is ceramic afterall!) in my bathroom to hold makeup. Roomy enough to hold all of my essentials!
So now I can definitively say that One Kings Lane is a great site, start to finish! If you’re interested, be sure to sign up!
**I was awarded a store credit to try out OKL, but the experience and opinions are all my own!** I love link lists. There’s nothing better than word of mouth, so when a blogger recommends a recipe, a new shop or a great read, I am all about it! Here are a
few things I’ve come across this week…
1. We’ve finished PreK, but the boys still ask to “do school” on nearly a daily basis. I’m thinking of incorporating a special craft time 2-3x a week to hold them over until the fall. This activity using Harry the Dirty Dog looks really fun. Playing in dirt and then eating bone-shaped cookies? They’d be all about that!
2. After a very thorough cleaning out of my closet, I realized I am in dire need of new sandals. I like these, but my cheapo self cringes at the price.
3. I am still plugging away in my current book, but am already looking to my next choice. Right now it’s between Ellis Island: A Novel and Angel Sister. Have you read either one?
4. I’m always looking for creative gifts for kids. This DIY Detective Kit would definitely be a hit with the boys in this house! I like that the kit could totally work for girls too, though. Did you ever read Cam Jansen growing up?
5. Oh, if only I had the time to do this beautiful embroidery! If you’ve read this blog for even a short amount of time, you know how much I admire Mother Teresa. Maybe I’ll get the itch to start it this summer.
6. New recipes on my to-try list: Cheddar Baked Chicken and Mexican Chicken Soup.
7. It was providence that I was watching this video on Young House Love’s blog last night. Mark has been complaining about needing a haircut for a week now, but hates shelling out the money. When he turned to me and said, “Hey! You should try to cut mine!”, I was skeptical (read: terrified I was going to really mess up). But I followed the directions and verdict: he loves it!
8. Quote of the week: “To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common – this is my symphony.” -William Henry Channing
Back again with another week of Project Life! This week, I found I had hardly taken my camera out and had very little photos to work with. Definitely a challenge, but I was pleasantly surprised that I still had enough stories to fill the slots. So much to tell in this little home of ours! (Please forgive the pictures. We’ve had rainy weather, so no natural lighting this week.)
Left side. I used a few pictures taken with my phone to correspond with little notes I wrote to each of the boys. In the notes, I kept it real: I talked about the good and the struggles. I think we’ll all look back on them and laugh someday. Also included a quote that I found hastily written down on scratch paper. I thought PL was a better way to keep it: “You are raising tomorrow’s men. Make warriors not wimps.”
Right side. One new feature that I really liked was including recipe cards for a meal we loved (the chicken and zucchini chips mentioned here). I used two of these printable cards, which I loved since I could type right on the cards before printing. Then I added tabs and slipped them in the pocket. So easy.
Be sure to check out The Mom Creative for even more PL ideas!
Memories from Mother’s Day 2012:
I WANT TO REMEMBER… waking up to two excited big boys bounding in my room. They were full of hugs and proudly announced that they had cleaned their room all on their own. And then I had the early morning privilege of witnessing a full. out. brawl. Some things never change, not even for Mother’s Day.
I WANT TO REMEMBER… my breakfast: breakfast burritos. My husband is a master cook, I tell you. They were delicious.
I WANT TO REMEMBER… making it through the majority of Mass with very well-behaved children. I was feeling proud and even a little braggy, until J wasn’t allowed to color in M’s coloring book and had a full. out. tantrum right there in the pew. Hello walk of shame to the back of the church.
I WANT TO REMEMBER… meeting my mom, dad and siblings at the restaurant for a yummy Italian lunch. I will never forget the look of pure joy on M’s face as he enjoyed his spaghetti and meatballs. Apparently that is a rare delicacy in our home and he couldn’t get enough.
I WANT TO REMEMBER… a wonderful gift: a childless afternoon, browsing through the antique stores downtown with my mom. It was amazing and relaxing. And it ended with icecream. Does it get better than that?
I WANT TO REMEMBER… how much I love this vocation – the good, the bad and the ugly. I am so, so blessed.