School Room Follow-Up

I had a few other thoughts and a few questions after the school room post, so I thought I'd do a follow-up bullet style. This is kind of all jumbled up with my answers in with other random thoughts, so enjoy trying to muddle through it!

• Am I a robot?  Well, actually I am somewhat of a machine when it comes to organizing. I can walk into a room and have it organized in my mind immediately. Now, depending on how "far gone" a room is it might take some time to actually make what I have in my head happen, but I'd say organization is a strong gifting that I have. Baking...not so much. Ehh, it's give and take.
• When I'm organizing I'm always thinking about how to make it "work" the best. If a room isn't workable it won't stay organized very long. I also ALWAYS include the people who need to use the space while I'm organizing. For instance, when Manly moved into his office space he put me in charge of organization of his office supplies and desk things. While I did most of the work, I made sure to ask questions about how he likes things so that I'd be able to get it put together in a way that would work for him. The same thing is true with kids. They usually have a pretty cool opinion on how they'd like their space to work. Just ask. Most of the time you can make what they'd like happen.
• ALWAYS use the workforce you have to help you complete a job. Sure, I would rather do most things on my own, but then the kids would be going nuts in another room and I'd feel like I needed to stop to spend time with them. There is ALWAYS something that EVERYONE can do. It might be slinging a feather duster around, or nailing up the shelf(obviously Manly's job!), but give them a job to help them feel important and part of the project.
• When we were working on the playroom/dining room/school room/quiet room overhaul I put people in areas I knew they'd do well in. For instance, Addi LOVES to organize. She's much like me. She's also very fast, so I usually put her close to me so that I can give her jobs she can easily finish and move on to other things. Her job while we were moving things out of the quiet closet was to empty out the floor puzzles, count the pieces to be sure none were missing, then put them into the new boxes. She LOVED this job! While she was doing that I had Brubbs taking the boxes to the recycle area. He loves doing "boy jobs" like trash, so he was content to watch Addi and be ready when she handed him the empty boxes. He also stacked the new boxes once they were full. The big girls carried the filled boxes up the stairs to where Manly was working to get the shelves installed. By the time I was finished cleaning out the quiet closet he was finished with the shelves and I was able to load them the way I wanted.
• Use the materials you have in your own home to help with projects. Unless it's Monday I'm ALWAYS using my laundry baskets and bags for other things. When we unloaded the school shelves I had the kids help me by putting the books into the laundry baskets, then Manly would hoist them up the stairs. Once he'd get them up there I would put them up on the shelves myself so I'd have them where I wanted them while the kids were busy loading up the next basket. This is how we do most tasks from cleaning up dinner to cleaning out the garage. Everyone gets a job and it gets the JOB done quickly.
• Always put the people who work best together...together! If you have two kids who really don't get along well don't try to get them to work together while you are doing a big project. That's for another time and another place! Pick teams that work well together. In our case it's usually Addi and Olivia, and Isaiah and KK, but sometimes there are things that require a switch up. For instance if I need the strength of the big kids I'll put them on a job together and use the little kids to do other things.
•  Work quickly and make fast decisions. When I'm cleaning out a space and get to something I think I should trash I do it immediately. This keeps me from deciding to keep useless stuff and usually gets me finished in record time.
• You should know, if you don't already, that I do all things QUICKLY. If I'm cleaning I'm usually almost running. I HAVE to be fast. If I didn't do things quickly the kids would start to take over the house. I usually have only a few minutes to complete a task before I need to get back to them or give them a new job, so I've learned to move fast. The entire project we just finished took us less than half a day. Probably about 4 hours total.
• Keep some things for when the kids are in bed. My kids take fantastic naps, so I can usually finish up any project like the one we just did at nap time. I usually don't like to do ANYTHING at nap time other than blog or watching hulu on my laptop in my bedroom, because momma needs to rest too, but there are times when putting the finishing touches on a project is just the right thing to get me feeling refreshed. In this case, I waited until the kids were resting to get everything just the way I wanted on the shelves. I had already put it all on the shelves so that it would be up out of their hands, but I wanted to be sure, like I mentioned earlier, that I had things in a good working order. SO, I put all the math manipulatives together and all the art supplies together. I also used this time to decorate the space so that when the kids were up from their nap they could come in and be surprised with the finished project. It was much like Christmas morning for them too. That's the biggest perk of finishing up a project while they are sleeping-the surprise element. Love that!
• What I DON'T like to do with the kids while I'm really working on something is to put a movie on for them. Sure I'll do that here and there if I just need a few minutes to finish up on something or in the afternoons while I'm cooking dinner, but when it's going to be a little longer I don't like to do TV because my kids(I don't know about yours) ALWAYS end up being uninterested in the TV and more interested in what I'm doing. In that case they would just be coming in mid-job and not really know what's going on and ask a million and one questions and pretty much just need busy jobs. If they are part from the beginning this keeps most of the questions at bay and helps keep your own attitude in check as well. Working as a family isn't always the easiest job in the world, but it's worth it in the end. Promise.
• Try to only do big projects when your man is home to help. This may mean having to wait a while. In my case it was several MONTHS, but it was worth it when I FINALLY saw "school room" on Manly's post-it for the day(I'll tell you more about Manly's strange post-it issues another time...)! Trying to do things you weren't made to do(like carrying really heavy baskets of books up the stairs or moving furniture) will just get you frustrated and hurt. Ask your man when a good time would be to get your project done and wait.
•  In our case I tried to make the space not only workable, but growable. For instance, right now we have those five tiny chairs, but as my big girls get bigger they will outgrown the little chairs and table. When that happens we'll install another higher desk on the opposite wall with full-size chairs. When I was putting the room together I had that in mind. It's the end result of the project. We just aren't ready for it yet.
• Put the baby in a sling or swing. My Eli loves being in the swing. Probably more than being slinged, but do whatever works so they have a happy mood. You DON'T want to try to be working while you have a fussy baby, so be sure to include time to stop and play with or feed the baby. They don't know you have a giant project going on, so they aren't going to stop being a baby for the day. I used the help of Manly too, so that's another reason to wait for your man to be there. When he had to run to Lowes to get a part he needed he took some of the kids with him while I stayed home and nursed the baby. Now, don't think I don't get frazzled when I'm in the middle of something and thinking the baby will still sleep another 45 minutes only to find him crying after a 15 minute cat-nap. But, TRY to include "the baby de-railed my plans" time.
• Use Ziploc bags!! I use Ziplocs to help organize ALL the time. I prefer the freezer kind because they are thicker and more durable, but whatever you have on hand will work. I use zip locks to micro organize things like party supplies, then put them all into one big tote labeled "Party things." When I'm looking for the zebra party plates I know they'll be in the party things basket, I just need to look in there and they'd all be in a Ziploc. Some of you coupon queens can probably get the real deal for a few cents, but I always just get the store brand to save money. I get them in all sizes. My favorite is the gallon size.

OK, I think that's it for now. Feel free to ask any other questions. Honestly, this is work I LOVE to do. My two favorite things are organizing spaces and planning parties. Put me on a sewing machine or in a gym and I wouldn't know WHAT to do. Strange hobbies, maybe, but it's just something I love love love to do with my "free time."

AND, for those of you wondering what I did with the quiet closet.

I spent about an hour the next day(while Manly was setting up the pool with the kids outside) and made THIS!

Olivia now has her own "room." She doesn't sleep in there, but that's about the only time she isn't in there unless I have other things for us to do. She loves to sew and paint and create things, so this space is perfect for her. She asked me what I was going to do with the quiet closet and I told her I was going to store supplies in there. Little did she know it was her OWN supplies! She was SO surprised, thankful, and EXCITED when I asked her to go in there and get me a roll of paper towels! Ha! She said afterwards, "MOM! I'm SO glad you didn't use my studio to store paper towels! That would just be SUCH a waste of space!" Ha!

 

This is right after she walked in. I used the shelf we'd had in there. I just took out one level and put it back together. Manly found the chair on one of his early morning runs out by the side of the road as trash. I simply added some fluff and fabric from Lulu's sewing stash and had a new chair in about 5 minutes. She LOVES it!!

Since I took these pictures she has totally decorated the walls with her drawings and other projects.

 

This is one of the old bookshelves from the old school room. It fits in there perfectly.

I put a few of my own things in there too(like the wrapping paper/gift bag organizer), but it's all stuff I don't mind her using. She feels so big and independent in that space. She even cleaned it today while we were picking up the rest of the house without being asked.

Total cost to me for this project? ZERO dollars. Yet it's priceless to Livi.

Thankful for a way to bless this sweet girl for all the hard work she helps me do.

The School Room of My Dreams

Since we began homeschooling over four years ago I have battled the "where do we do school blues."
 We started off doing school around the kitchen table, which was fine when I was just schooling one child, but as our family has grown and we've realized we really like homeschooling I decided there's just too much stuff to get out and put back away every day. It's always been my wish to have a proper school room, but with six kids and all their stuff the reality of it ever actually happening seemed slim.
We have a three bedroom house with a formal dining room and loft, so when we moved in I decided to make the formal dining room(which is covered in light carpet that I didn't want too ruin with kids eating on it) the office/school room. We put the playroom in the loft, and I spent my Rhea Lana earnings to create the playroom space I wanted. When we put it together we bought five child size chairs, and two shelves and a desk. I had the playroom really organized with clear boxes and lids to keep toys off the floor and give the kids choices when playing. The kids loved the space and they all have room to spread out to play.
It's always worked out great, but now it has become necessary to use the dining room for what it's made for. EATING. We've outgrown the table in the eat-in kitchen, so we needed to be able to put the leaves in the humongo table in the dining room we'd been using for school and start eating in there. When we decided to do that I decided I'd like to move the school room upstairs into the loft so that we'd have a nice big space to eat. (Yes, that means eating on carpet, but I'm hoping to pull it up this fall for concrete.) That meant we would need a functional space that would not only include the kids toys, but also be a school room AND I'd need to bring the things from the "quiet closet" upstairs as well. Where would we put all that stuff?
I had these as my inspiration. Who doesn't LOVE the container store? I mean, come on. Clean, organized, sleek, orderly...I could go on and on.

 

So began the purge of 2013. Well, one of them anyway. Manly always tells me the kids are going to be sleeping with one eye open because I always throw their stuff away and get rid of stuff while they aren't paying attention or sometimes while they are right there playing in the room. They have some things that I know not to try to get rid of(like KK's Bolt dog, Brubbs cars, and Mia's baby dolls), but overall, they know that we just don't keep a ton of stuff they don't play with on a regular basis.
I have always been anti-toys in the bedrooms. The kids each have two toys(except Mia who always ends up with 5-6 somehow) that they keep in their beds to sleep with, but that's it. Everything else has always been stored in the playroom. I am a firm believer of bedrooms are for sleeping. If bedrooms are trashed with millions of stimulating toys kids will have a terrible time trying to sleep in there! If you ask me it's worth it to put two kids in the same room so that you can use one room to store their stuff and one room for them to sleep, but that's just me and MY opinion. ANYWAY, that's another post...
SO, after purging, I had Manly install two additional shelves to my already shelved wall. This would mean that I could store twice the amount of stuff, the shelves would just be a little closer together. The shelves were a really inexpensive fix. We got both of them and the hardware to hang them for less than $40.(And, as a side note, I bought Lowes gift cards at Kroger because it was 4X gas points, so I got a BOATLOAD of Kroger points which basically earned me free gas. AWESOME) I also bought several shoebox sized boxes with colorful lids. At first I was going to go with white, but since the space is open and full of natural light, and because the space would be used for the kids, I decided to go with colors that would match the chairs that were already in there.
I used the boxes to store all kinds of things from floor puzzles to counting bears and blocks. I was able to store all the things from my school room shelves AND the quiet closet onto the shelves in the new school room with room to spare.

 

 

I used the larger toys to fill space on the shelves. They serve as décor now, but will eventually also be stored in the closets. I love the color they add to the room.

 

One of my other favorite things about this is an idea that isn't quite completed, but I figured out a way to show you anyway. 

This is all of the board games. I wasn't crazy about them being stacked on the shelf not looking a cute as everything else. I also needed to figure out a way to hang charts and posters from time to time, so I decided to put a strip of wither weather stripping or cork board on the edge of the top shelf. This will allow anything to be hung with bulldog clips and thumb tacks. The best part?! It covers the board games completely, but it's still really easy to get to them.

 

 

I was able to get all my teacher/student books into the armoire that had once stored dress-up clothes and large toys. Now the dress-up clothes are in the large locking hope chest in Isaiah's room.

 

I sat up a reading area because my kids LOVE to read. In the next few weeks we are going to raise the lights and the white board about a foot, and add in a small desk space and chair for myself. The bean bag will go on the other side of the bookshelf after that as the entire wall opposite the wall in this picture is open.

 

It does drive me bonkers that the back of the armoire is exposed, but Manly assures me no one cares. Ha! I'll likely paint it white as soon as I get a chance so it doesn't bug me so much.



I had all the toy boxes stacked in the bedrooms while I worked, still not knowing for sure what we would do with them. There were 6 boxes with toys in them, and a puppet stage(which I used for school from time to time, but it takes up quite a bit of space) that needed a new home. I also needed to find a space for all the kids large toys(like doll houses, pirate ships, and massive dump trucks.). SO, I ended up cleaning out closets as well. We had a TON of space in the tops of the kids closets that were just going to waste with sleeping bags and backpacks, so I used that space to store the toy boxes. They still can't get to them on their own, and I have them stored in a way that works: dolls and "little people" are in the girls room, and cars, trains, and balls are in the boys room. So far they haven't even asked to play with those things anyway now that the school room is so enticing, so we may be doing another purge soon...Ha!

The girls' room toys.

The boys' room toys

I thought the puppet stage looked GREAT with the décor of our boy room, so I just threw it in the corner in there.

I realized after the peek at the closets you might want to see the kids rooms, so I took a quick pic of each room.

Girl room, obviously. It's like the pinkest pink you'll ever see. Seriously. The theme is Smittle Sisters Horse Ranch.

Boy room. It always looks a little brighter blue in pictures. Right now KK sleeps on the top bunk in there so that's why there are pink blankets in there. This room theme is New Orleans jazz...for now.

I put the rest of the big toys on our cubbies. I think they look OK. Not perfect, but it works. We painted these old cubbies a few months back and it's been one of my best ideas. Each child has their own and it's where they put there Bible's, Awana stuff, and any other personal stuff that is JUST THEIRS. I have to remind them to keep them tidy, but they love having their own space...

SO, there you have it. My new school room and peeks into the kids rooms. I'm so happy with how it turned out! I can't wait for school to start now!! History, anyone???

A Slice of Our World: What's in the Middle of Clean and Dirty?

I had a reader ask about how I keep my house clean. I always kind of smirk at this question, because truth be known my house is rarely ever actually CLEAN. However, it always APPEARS to be clean. Get down and rub your finger across my baseboards and you're almost always going to have dust. Same goes for my fans, cabinets, and door frames. BUT, in this stage of my life I have learned to be OK with that. Now, I'm NOT OK with clutter or messiness.  Keeping a junk/clutter free house means that you often have to go through and weed out your STUFF. Making sure that everything has a place to call home is a must. If your stuff doesn't have a place you almost always can either sell it or chunk it. Learning to maintain my home was the BEST lesson I ever learned. A maintained home generally takes about 10-15 minutes to get "cleaned." Usually less if your whole family pitches in. The process of getting it maintainable will take some time, but once it's ready it can stay that way!! As I've gotten to this point(having six kids and all), I've learned to be OK if I go two weeks or sometimes even more(I know, GASP!!) between cleanings. My advice is do what works and stop stressing about it. I've already written quite a lot about this topic. If you haven't ever read through my "Insiders Scoop" I'd recommend it. That's where you'll find a lot of my tips on daily living. Here are a few specific posts that may interest you...

Random tips for keeping a "clean house" can be found here.
My thoughts on having a CLEAN AND HAPPY house are here.
My thoughts on having little people help keep a tidy home are here.

The Best $10 I EVER Spent!!

I have really great kids! Honestly, they are all responsible and so good to keep things tidy.

They have daily chores that they complete that keeps their area of the house looking nice and clean.

One thing they really struggle with, however, is TOOTHPASTE!! I come in to their bathroom and the entire counter and sink are covered in toothpaste. It's on the walls, it's on the cabinets, it's on the towels, it's on the doors. It's EVERYWHERE!! I'll call them back in to remind them to clean up after brushing their teeth, but it never fails that EACH time I come in after brushing it's the same!!

UNTIL LAST WEEKEND!!

Scotty and I were brainstorming about how to keep the mess to a minimum when I came up with the idea that there should be an automatic toothpaste dispenser that the kids could use when pasting their toothbrushes that would keep them from making such a mess. I didn't think it was possible that there would actually be something to fit the bill that would be cheap enough to afford and easy enough to use for them, but we sat out on Saturday to find what we were looking for.

We were happy to find the "Touch N Brush" at our local WalMart for only $9.99!!

Our version came with 300 stickers(which I put into our sticker bin instead of on the unit because the kids can use them for other things and the dispenser will stay neat and clean looking suctioned to the bathroom mirror. It also came with an automatic toothbrush(which Manly took over).

 The BEST part!?! For the last week the bathroom is MESS FREE!! No toothpaste ANYWHERE!! The dispenser gives only a small amount of toothpaste, so it keeps the kids from making a mess and also keeps them from wasting a TON of toothpaste(which we were doing before.)!

 

Here is a video to get a better idea of how it works if you are interested.

SO glad to have found it for our kids!

Today's Dreams are Tomorrow's Reality

I recently read a great article from ParentLife Magazine about helping to discover your kids unique gifts. It can be tough to see some things our kids have as gifts. For instance, my KK talks non-stop about food. No, seriously, the child talks about food ALL DAY LONG. It drives me crazy! I want to say, "STOP TALKING ABOUT FOOD!" probably 100 times a day. BUT, if I look at it as God gifting KK with a talent to prepare and serve food I can more appropriately talk to and train her for the future.
Since Olivia was tiny she has wanted to be an animal rescuer. Now she's felt the calling to be a missionary, but her love for animals is still there, and if you were to ask her she would likely tell you that she desired both things. It's my job as mom to be sure to sharpen these interests, and give her time to see if it really is something she is called to. Can her desires for the future change, OF COURSE! She's only 8. BUT, I can see her love for people groups and animals as a God given gift, and remember the words of Paul from Philippians 1:6 "I am sure of this, that He who created a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus!" I believe that God is preparing amazing things for our kids. It's my job to be their biggest fan and PRAY for success for them. No matter what that looks like for them.
SO, how can you find some of your kids unique gifts even at a young age? I asked the following questions:

1. Today, if you could do anything you'd like, what would it be?
2. In high school(I said when you are a teenager), what activity do you most want to participate in?
3. When you're 23, what do you want your career to be?

When I asked my kids these questions these are the answers I got:

Isaiah

1. Be with Jesus!
2. Color with a red crayon.
3. A Monster Truck driver!

Addison

1. Help someone that was hurt.
2. First she said, "Experience a baby deer." when I asked her to explain what that meant she said, "ACTUALLY! I want to do big kid swimming!"
3. Work at a doctor office. Take care of animals.

Emma Claire

1. Go to Disney World.
2. Draw a BIG picture on BIG paper. When I asked her to explain I learned she was talking about drawing murals.
3. Working at LARRY'S PIZZA!!!!

Olivia

1. Take Palin(her dog) to a dog show and win first prize.
2. Art
3. Missionary work

Obviously, some of these answers are silly, but when I really stop and think about them I start to find the hidden truths of who my kids are. SO, here are my thoughts.

Isaiah
First of all, BE WITH JESUS!! Are you serious? I just melted when he said that. He desires to be good and please his parents. I think he will have a future being a bold Christian and leader for his family some day.
When he said color with a red crayon I thought of two things. Number one, red is his favorite color. Number two, he's NEVER still for long while coloring. BUT, then I thought about how passionate he is about things like red being his favorite color. He's like that about other things too. He wants to be sure you know certain things about him right off the bat. I think this statement more shows me about his passion than what he actually wants to do as a teenager.
Right now he is TOTALLY into monster trucks. He got that way because Manly took him to see them for a guys night. Bubby doesn't get a lot of time with just Scotty because there just isn't a lot of time right now for that, but it has shown us that he LOVED spending that time just hanging out being a BOY with his dad. This reminds me to be sure to block off time for my boy to be a boy with his dad. We need to be sure that we make time to train him to be a good dad and husband because he has a wild masculine heart that needs to be tended to.

Addison
I was a little surprised by some of Addi's answers. Mostly because you never know what in the world that girl is going to say. BUT, I think the common theme of her answers is that she loves caring for others. She's always had such a caring soft heart for others. She's my child that will stop in the store just to chat with an elderly couple because she knows they may just need a smile. She's the first to tell strangers to have a nice day. She'll tell someone at the cash register that she likes their shirt or that they are pretty.
I learned from this that her answer, "Do big kids swimming." that I need to be sure to include her in as many big girl activities as possible. I'm sure it's hard being the middle of 6. I'm going to plan to put her in swim lessons this summer to see if it's something she really likes. If so, we may continue to see if it's something she's interested in and maybe join our local swim team. She has the build for swimming, so it may be something she's really good at.
I also see her need to please others in her answers. She and Olivia have talked at length about how they'll work together some day to save people and animals. I don't know if it's more something that Addi wants to do or that she just loves Olivia so much that she wants to please her and be with her. I want to be sure to cultivate in Addi her caring heart by getting her involved in community projects where she can serve others. I think that will be a time when she can really shine.

Emma Claire
Oh, my silly KK. Her answers were a little different than I thought they'd be, but not much! Ha! Her first answer shows her desire to go and do things. That girl would love nothing better than to NEVER be home. She loves travel and going places and seeing things. I hope to be able to let her go and see more as she gets older and we have less tiny littles in our home. I'm much like her in this respect. I love to just get up and go somewhere. I love that spontaneity I see in her.
Her second answer was a little strange to me until I asked her to explain it to me and she said, "Like on Ramona and Bezus(the movie) where Ramona and her dad paint the big picture and take it to the class and everyone loves it so much!" I think that KK wants to please others and be the "cool kid." I think sometimes she suffers the second child shadow. This answer made me realize I need to be sure to cultivate in her a desire to let others see her for who she IS. I don't want her to do things to try to be liked. I want her to learn that being herself will allow others to be drawn to her because who she is is really cool.
Working at Larry's is actually a big step forward from working at McDonalds(which has been her goal in life since she was old enough to talk!). Bottom line. The girl is PASSIONATE about food. She really doesn't EAT a lot of food, but she just loves everything about it. The flavors of spices, the smells of food cooking, the colors of the food, the presentation, she loves it all! She can smell a food and know what is in it. I have NO idea how God is going to use this gift, but I know this. It's an OBVIOUS gift. I decided I need to plan a time to allow her to serve meals to homeless or help me take a new mommy meal. I think this would be a great way to show her how to focus her gifting.

Olivia
My Livi had a hard time not answering the questions for everyone else. She has a need to control(which is a common trait for the first born). Once it was her turn she was sure of her calculated answers, and quickly put them out there for me. These three answers are gifts we've seen in her for the last several years, so I wasn't surprised by any of the answers.
I do want to get her some help in training her dog because it's something she's asked about and I know that she would be really good at training her if she had some help and I just don't have the time to do it(or the know how). She loves her dog and cares for her. It's TOUGH having a pet in a large family, but I've learned to just let her to the taking care of her and depending on her to be responsible for Palin. She's proved herself worthy of being a doggie owner.
She's taken art classes before and loved it. I think we may need to look into it again, or at least really spend some time at home allowing her to do different types of art projects.
Almost two years ago she told Scotty and I that she felt like God was calling her to be a missionary. At the time she told us she wanted to go to Alaska, but as she's learned more and more about different people groups she's felt a tugging for several different countries. I see her as a total Amy Carmichael type. She cares so deeply for others. Her sweet tender heart squeezes for children and hurting people. She always wants to help out on mission projects, and is a REALLY hard worker. Although it hurts this momma's heart to think about her leaving me someday soon for foreign soil, I know that she was given to me to train up and send out. I plan to continue to cultivate a giving heart in her. I want her to understand that having a tender heart is both a blessing and a hardship. I have to train her to guard her heart, yet open it up for others.

SO, what else can we do? We can learn as much about our kids interests as possible. Be sure not to confuse your own interests for theirs. Don't bulldoze over their interests because it's not something you are interested in. Rent books and movies from the library. Check out your local area classes. Read up on what is available in your area. Talk to your spouse about what your plan can be. Ask others for advice who may already be in a field your kids are interested in. Most importantly, PRAY that you will be ready for whatever comes.

Fresh

With the new year here I've been looking at our home and thinking of ways that we can simplify our life and home. I try to go room by room thinking of things I can purge from our life(clothes we aren't in love with, vases I'm no longer fond of, sheet sets that make me sweat). I don't know why doing this at the beginning of the year works, but there's something about not being worried about throwing stuff out come January 1.
I have a ton of stuff to sell or get rid of. When I'm working in a room I usually make 4 stacks:sell, give away, and throw away, then I have a stack that either needs a new home or is misplaced and needs to be moved to another room. Once I'm done with a room I take my stacks and put them away before starting on another room. This keeps things organized and easy to stop and pick back up later if needed(which happens a lot if you're working while the kids are awake.
Speaking of kids, get them in on the action! Tell them to ask themselves 1. Do I LOVE this? 2.Would someone else be blessed by this more than I am? 3. Could I sell this old thing to get something that would work better for me? I know my kids are prone to have emotional attachments to things, so I have to be careful about what I say about their personal things. Giving them the responsibility to make choices seems to make it work better for all of us and they end up getting rid of more than I would have in the first place.
I'll also be taking a look at my spending and try to think if there are ways to get rid of any unnecessary spending(other than my one guilty pleasure-Netflix). It's really good to think through your daily schedule and try to also purge any activities that aren't BEST for your family. There are a lot of GOOD things you can be part of, but shedding a few from your list might be a good thing as you face the new year. Is there something extra that you do that really drains the life out of you and isn't BEST for your whole family? Think through your roles and see if there is anything you might need to put aside for now and maybe pick back up later.
Manly and I really like to take a moment and try to plan out our year as far as big purchases, family vacations, and home improvements that need to be done. Once we have our list we are able to set financial goals for saving money. It's sort of like a layaway plan. We "make payments" to each area until we are ready to pay. Since we don't do credit cards we pay cash for everything. The payment system lets us do that easily(well, at least easier.).
Anyway, all of that to say the new year is a great time to start fresh! Take the challenge to freshen up your life.

Home is Where Your Pictures Hang!

Stepping foot in my home proves two things: 1. I think my kids are beautiful. 2. I love to take pictures of them.
My home is not decorated as nicely as I'd love for it to be, but one thing is clear as you look at the walls of our home. We love these precious babies the Lord has given us.
I love the sweet personal feel hanging snapshots gives to a home. You can do this in a cheap easy way, or go all out with expensive boutique frames and expensive professional prints. Either way, family photos tell the story of the family who lives in the home.
Here are a few of the photo displays in my home.

This is the view from our front door. I love that if we have the blinds open you can see these pictures from the road. It makes me smile to come home at night and see the lamp on and the pictures shining. So many memories on this wall. Some are snapshots, some are professional, some are old-fashioned JCPenney pictures from 2004! I love it when guests come in and go straight to see all the memories caught on this wall.

Another view of the pics. I used all sorts of frames, and I think id adds to the look. Having all the same frame would work too, or having all black or silver or something, but having a hodge podge just really makes it more about the pictures instead of the frames.

This is at the bottom of the stairs.

This display is in the foyer right inside the door. These are also Lulu pics.

Some of my all-time favorites of the kids.

These frames were bought all second hand from Goodwill and Salvation Army and spray painted the same color. I love this display of our Lulu pics.

This is one of my favorites. I wanted a pretty jewelry box, but didn't want to take up a lot of space with it. Several years ago Manly found this one and it's just perfect! It hangs in the foyer of my bathroom. The pictures inside are from our 5 year anniversary. I took them myself with a tripod and a camera timer!

A peek inside. Yes, everything is in color order. What of it? Ha!

I found this wicker shelf on a curb alert! Yes, for free. I just added pics.

So that's a "snapshot" inside our home and how we do pictures.

If you're visiting from Kelly's Korner come back and stay a while!

Be sure you check out my "Home Brewed Smittle" series.

 

Uhh, Aren't You Supposped to be ASLEEP?

One day without our regular nap schedule=Tough, but managable

Two days without our regular nap schedule=Wild, loud, and cranky, but still OK by the end of the day.

Three days without our regular nap schedule=Louder and crazier than a rodeo after dark. Feeling the need to buy some of those nerf looking earplugs. Remembering day one and wishing it was here instead

Four days without our regular nap schedule=Thinking about getting my iron skillet out and whomping someone with it like on those old fashioned cartoons.

We aren't going anywhere or doing anything tomorrow just so I can get these little darlings back in shape. In their deffense it isn't their fault, just a coincidence that it's been half a week since we've had our normal sleeping schedule. Summer is a busy time. I'm thinking it's time to hole up and rest for a while...

Ways to Enjoy Your Kids This Summer

So, school it out(for most. We're still working on finishing up Math), and with that comes the dreaded question from your kiddos, "What are we going to do today???" With any luck you'll already know the answer, but if you are looking for some things to do maybe this fun list can help you look like a rock star mom(or dad).

• Read
• Ask your kids some things they're interested in. After you have a few things search the topics at your local library. Most libraries have online card catalogs. Our local library will let you pick your books online, place them on hold, and THEY will pull them and put them on a hold shelf for you. All you have to do is go pick them up! Such a help for busy parents! The library is your BEST friend. You read books FOR FREE!
• Want to take reading to the next level? Read short excerpts from books and have your kids recite back to you
• Find fun places to read. Grab an old blanket and throw it out on your front yard, sit under an umbrella table on your patio, read at the pool, read at the park, read on the trampoline. There are so many ways to enjoy a good book. My kids love to read under a tent too. We'll put a blanket over the office table and wallah, a table tent reading nook.
• Bath time
• Daytime baths are fun. Add bubbles and the kids will play in there until they're nice and pruney.
• Bring in kitchen stuff. My kids LOVE to play with colander. Let them "cook" a fancy meal. Follow the bath up with a REAL lunch.
• Throw in light sticks for an extra fun bath. We've done this a few times. We can only do it at night because we have a sky light in the bathroom, but it's SO much fun and gives the kids something to do after bath too.
• Get bath tints! They aren't expensive and will tint the water for bath time fun.
• Cook
• Make homemade Popsicles! They are SO so easy to make. You can use Applesauce, yogurt, fresh fruit...the list goes on and on. You can either pick up an inexpensive mold from just about anywhere, or you can use an ice tray. Be sure you let them freeze up nicely before you try to pop them out or you'll have a mess!
• Make no-bake goods. Rice Krispy Treats and no-bake oatmeal cookies are just the beginning of the ideas for fun "cooking" with kids.
• Let kids make their own pita pizza's. They'll love this simple lunch. We make dessert ones too. Don't want to pay extra for pita's just use tortillas.
• Let them get in on snack time prep. There are so many CUTE snack ideas here.
• Free Outings
• Call your local fire department and set up a time to see the fire station. Be ready to be flexible because the station can't shut down for you, but they are always so nice to us and always have fun goodies for the kids. Be sure to take some sort of thank you gift(a drawing or a batch of cookies works great!).
• Go to the library. Most of the time they have summer reading club. They usually have fun concerts and activities too. Stop by and see what they have to offer. You'll likely be surprised!
• Set up play dates with friends. Kids playing with other kids is ALWAYS a hit. Pick one day of the week and let that be play date day. Mix it up and make it fun.
• Do crafts with recycled materials. You'll be surprised what kids can come up with if you give them an empty paper towel roll. You don't have to buy expensive pre-made crafts to have fun. Keep it simple and let THEM be creative.
• SPLASH PARKS!! Those two simple words will become your best friends! Seriously, find out if your town has a splash park. We have TWO within 30 minutes. They are FREE and FUN! I like to follow up any HOT activity with Sonic happy hour. You can get a kids-sized slush for .50 or so. SO. MUCH. FUN!

So, I hope you are encouraged to go enjoy your kids. Remember, this is your life. Soak it up!

I Did it MYYYY WAAAAY!

There is so much cattiness with women these days, isn't there? It seems like I'm always feeling the need to defend my beliefs, thoughts, or way of doing things to some woman somewhere. We can be looked down on for not buying organic, not making our own homemade foods, not spanking or spanking, wearing the wrong clothes, reading the wrong books...The list goes on and on and on...

There's so much talk about what's the best way to feed your family, what the best education plan is, how to raise sons, how to raise daughters. I've had conversations recently about discipline with friends and what the "right" way to do things is.

It's SO hard to sift through everything and decide what's best for YOU and YOUR family while you have your friends and family bringing you their thoughts and beliefs on each and every subject.

I was recently trying to make our grocery list and found myself trying to remember what the "dirty dozen" was(for produce) so that I could star those things on my list to get organic. I'd started buying organic whole milk last month because so and so said it was the right thing to do. After we'd been through 463 half gallons of milk and HUNDREDS of dollars later I was sitting there thinking how crazy it was that I was doing things simply because someone else had mentioned that's what they did for their family. I'd even been on a milk fast because I HATE WHOLE MILK and I just wanted to pour a big old glass of skim milk and gulp it down!

This came after I'd stopped buying lunch meat, turned all our white flour to wheat, and been sure NOT to buy ANYTHING but organic peanut butter! Ha! I'm laughing now, but there were months when I'd be so so stressed out because I was worried one of the kids MIGHT want some of my processed soup, so I'd keep it on a shelf out of their sight. So silly to let those things worry you.

My encouragement to you is to seek the council of wiser women who know what they're talking about; ask for ideas for things like healthy eating, wise money management, and parenting,  but ALWAYS ALWAYS do what you feel like is best for your family. That will most likely look different from everyone else. Guess what? THAT'S OK! YAY!! God made each one of us differently and wonderfully! What a bore this world would be if we were all the same.
I feel like what I've been learning in my study of James is helping me to find focus on things in my home. It's so simple! Read this passage in James taken from The Message "If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. "

I LOVE the way the message says "if any of you don't know what you're doing." Uh, yeah. That sounds about right! Ha!! There is so so much wisdom I need, and if I go looking in the wrong places I'm likely to end up finding something that isn't the best. If I go to the Lord and ask HIM for wisdom on feeding my family or parenting my littles, I'll get it! James says I'll get it GLADLY and without condensation! Take that little nugget of BIBLICAL wisdom and hide it away in your heart. Only YOU and the Lord no what's best for your family. Go in peace and do THAT!

22 Ways to Use a Wipe!

So, with all these kids around here I go through about 700+ wipes a month. Yeah, it's true. No, I've never made my own and I don't have ANY intention of trying it. Sorry.
Anyway, I've been thinking recently about all the ways that I use wipes lately. SO, I thought I'd share...

1. The obvious. To wipe booties has to be #1.
2. To clean pee off the bathroom floor when I don't have time to mop the floor. This happens quite a lot lately with a BOY who is potty trained.
3. To clean food off the floor when I don't have time to mop. Let's face it. It's usually about once a week when my floors get mopped. It's true. I recently bought this which makes a quick mop easier...
4. I often use wipes for a quick dusty job if I'm busy and see something nasty that needs to be dusted. They really clean nicely. For a sparkly shine use a dry washcloth to wipe dry. Try it!
5. To wipe up messes on any hard surface, especially counters and bathrooms.
6. To clean pee(and/or poop) off the toilet seat.
7. To clean carts. I do this ANY time I go anywhere to keep germs to a minimum.
8. To clean up spit-up. I haven't had to do that in a while, but when I have tinys I ALWAYS keep a wipe box close.
9. To clean mascara out from under my eyes right before Manly gets home. You know how sometimes it starts running under your eyes after a few hours. A wipe is perfect to clean it out fast without removing your make-up. I've also been known to use a q-tip, but that's another post...
10. To wipe hands when we've had a treat in the car.
11. To wipe carseats after we've had a treat in the car.
12. To wipe off the dashboard in the car when it gets dusty.
13. To clean the gunk out of the cupholders when they get nasty from Manly spilling his coffee in there. Again...
14. Use them to wipe down your seats in your car if they've gotten yucky.
15. To wipe hands if we drive-thru somewhere.
16. To clean scrapped knees.
17. To wipe snotty noses.
18. To wipe snot off of me from others snotty noses.
19. To clean shoes! This is one of my favorites. It makes any shoe look like new!
20. To wipe off your keyboard. It really works good if the keys get sticky from littles who shouldn't have touched it in the first place.
21. Try it on wall stains. It's not as good as a magic eraser, but it might do the trick. Especially on crayon.
22. To remove scuff marks from the floor made by black soled shoes.

I've tried several brands, and don't really have a favorite. I do like Luv's, but usually only get those when they are on sale. I mostly use Target's Up&Up brand and WalMart's brand. The bottom line is get one that does the job. I get mine in bulk boxes. I like the ones that come with their own little package with lid like this.

That way I can just slip the whole pack into the diaper bag or suitcase for a trip without having to take the entire hard package.

If At First You Don't Succeed...

I love my kids. L-O-V-E LOVE them! They are so so sweet to each other and really genuinely love each other.
Recently we've been spending most of the day out in the BEAUTIFUL weather. We have an amazing backyard thanks mostly to grandparents who love their grandkids and have bought them lots of fun things to play on. Manly and I have a rule that we won't help the kids up onto stuff while they are playing outside. This rule came after we'd had several run-ins with "I'M STUUUUUCK!" and "I fell off the tree!" We want them to learn to do things on their own and we think if they can't climb up on their own it's unlikely they'll be able to get DOWN on their own. The bravery and confidence gained in climbing UP usually helps them to climb DOWN. Well, the kids decided they wanted to climb up on the roof of the playhouse. A few years back I would have NEVER let this happen, but in my old age I'm getting soft...I'll let the pictures and captions tell the REST of the story.

KK was the first one to make it up.

As you can tell she was a LITTLE excited! HA!

My favorite of all KK's koooky faces is this one of pure joy!

Not wanting to be outdone Addi decides she wants to try too.

KK trying to boost Addi.

She was saying, "REEEEEACH ADDI!!"

Addi decides to ask her dad for help only to be told that she'd have to figure it out on her own.

Look at those folded arms. This girl was REALLY trying to state her case.

They decided to try from another angle. I was really proud of them for not giving up! Such great sisters.

This whole time Olivia was sitting under a tree making an Indian Village out of sticks

Lulu with part of her Indian village.

Bubby and Mia watching from the trampoline.

Meanwhile, the girls were getting desperate...

Yes, that's a car and they know how to use it! Look at KK giving instructions!

KK decides to get up and coach Addi along.

She was telling her exactly what to do.

They were SURE this was going to work.

They got SO close...

But just couldn't do it!

Just when they thought all hope was lost...

The TRUE stubborn Middle child decides she WON'T give up!

AND....

SHE...

MADE IT!

And this is what happened afterward. They are both SCREAMING to the top of their lungs! Ha! They were so so so excited. They just sat up their looking around for the longest time.

THEN...

Bubby decided they were having too much fun and he needed to join them. The girls laughed at his efforts and branded him, "The bad guy trying to get in our house!"

He just laughed and said, "I BAD GUY!"

But then...

He found something for his foot(the mailbox)

AND...

(he's looking right at me because in a panic I screamed, "SCOTTY, He's DOING IT!!!")

HE. DID. IT!!!

Seriously, ya'll! I NEVER thought he'd be able to get up there on his own.

This is Addi saying, "WHAT!? You are UP THERE! WAY TO GO BUBBY!!"

He got up on the middle and said, "I DO IT!"

Bubby was SO proud!

When he got ready to get down he just slid right off!

The sisters had decided to move on to other things. I found them on the "best friend" swing.

Bubby decided to swing with Lulu, who had sliced open her finger due to using a rock as a hammer on her art project.

But she was SO proud.

Mia was trying to learn to walk crawl because she WOULD NOT be held while the others were playing...

But she finally decided the car could be better used as a sitting device.

The Three Amigos finished their time together with a victory ride on the 3-seater seesaw.

LOVE.