Currently: Vol 13

The last few weeks I have been doing a "Currently" post.  It is fun for me to think about my week. To open up, and show bits and pieces of my daily thoughts, and life.

Simple popsicle stick snowflake via

Thankful for:  Last week, we took the kids on a "surprise" mini vacation.  We told them we were going shopping, and out for lunch.  Something we normally don't do.

We loaded everyone back up into the vehicle, put on a movie, but instead of heading 45 minutes back home, we headed further east another hour.

They had no idea, until we pulled up to the hotel!

I was able to get an awesome family suite for a couple nights.   It was PERFECT!

This would be why I missed my normal "What I Wore", "Mother's Musing", and "This Old House" last week.

Working on:  Yesterday, my hubby hung the wainscoting in the half bath.  Besides a few finishing touches, it is ready for our New Years Eve party.  More to be shown on "This Old House" on Friday.

Sneak Peak

Excited about:   New Years Eve!!!!!  We are hosting the annual New Years Eve party again.  Even better, my sister and her husband are flying in for a visit from North Carolina. Some friends from North Dakota, and possibly my brother and his family, in addition to the normal crew are coming.  It should be a fun night!

Today, I started the little ones New Years Eve PJ's.  The older kids will sew theirs tomorrow.

 Praying everyone has a healthy and safe week.  And HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!

-Rachel

Currently: Vol 12

The last few weeks I have been doing a "Currently" post.  It is fun for me to think about my week. To open up, and show bits and pieces of my daily thoughts, and life.

 Oh to be little and have the greatest bed head!!!!!

Thinking:  I'm so glad there is only 2 days of school for the kids this week!  There is a nasty stomach bug going through the school right now.  Using oils, and praying the kids don't bring it home before vacation!

Excited about:  Our surprise family trip... The kids still have no idea that we are going anywhere.  Now to get everything packed without them knowing.  My toes are probably the only thing ready for some pool time!

Worried about:  Baby Girl!  The last couple days she has been sleeping A LOT, has had some strange rashes on her arm, ankle and now under her eyes.  Tomorrow morning we are heading to the doctor to see what he can figure out.  Even though she can't feel overly good, she has times when she is so happy.

Working on:  Progress is made on the half bath.  I've been working painting the trim, and distressing the cabinet.  Today, Hubby worked on cracks in the walls, etc.  This week, I should be able to paint the ceiling and walls.    Then, the last step will be putting up the wainscoting, which I bought on Friday!  The goal is to have it finished by New Years Eve.

Praying for health and safety for everyone this week!

-Rachel

This Old House: Vol 11

This week, I started working on the half bath redo, then I got sick.  We are hoping to work more on it this weekend and buy all the supplies.

The kids backpack hooks were the only finished project this week.  Years ago when we added our entry, I sometimes wish I would've done things a bit different.  For one, the spacing between the top hooks and the bottom hooks when you come in the door. 

 

I have found there isn't enough room between the adult coats and the kids coats.  We have also added a couple more kids since then.  With all their winter gear there isn't a lot of extra space for school backpacks.  

So, I asked my husband to hang some extra hooks.  Super simple, easy project that took him less then 10 minutes.  He was even talking on the phone while putting up the hooks!

 

This is the old door that use to do to the basement, that is now nailed shut.  The kids are excited to not get wet feet anymore, walking back into where all their winter gear is hung!

The goal is to have the half bathroom done before our annual New Years Eve party!  

Have a blessed weekend!

-Rachel

Mother's Musing: Mom's Don't get sick days!

Mom's Don't Get Sick Days!

  You guessed it, this week started with baby girl being sick/teething on Monday.  Then, on Tuesday I came down with a sore throat, fever, body aches..  Even after oiling everyone up with essential oils all day!  UGH, mom's don't get sick days!!!!  Thankfully my wonderful husband fed the kids, and kept them quiet, after he got home from work.  I was able to take a lavender bath each evening, and go to bed early. 

Here is the downfall.. My house went quickly from our normal to, ummm, BAD!  Laundry climbing the wall in the bathroom, not including everyone's bedrooms, towels, and sheets that need to be changed.

This is what I started with this morning, even after my hubby tried to do a little picking up before going to bed. It was MUCH worse before his attempts!!

I made my mission for the day, that I was going to try to get the main floor back to our "normal".  It may have taken me most of the day, but I mostly was successful.

Here is the after...

5 loads of laundry, supper in the crockpot, and this mommy is DONE for the day!  There is still a couple loads of wash to carry upstairs and put away. I'm just happy to have it "clean"!  There is no hired cleaning lady in this house.  To some, this is clean, to others, it is not to their standards.  What is wonderful about having your own household, is you get to pick what your "normal/happy" is!  Pretty sure this will make everyone's day when they walk in the door this afternoon.  For my kids, "normal" makes them so much happier.  Find your "normal" for YOUR home, just make it home, and what makes your family happy.

Let's just not take a picture of mommy.....there will be no picture for "What I Wore" today!

Currently: Vol 11

The last few weeks I have been doing a "Currently" post.  It is a fun for me to think about my week. To open up, and show bits and pieces of my daily thoughts, and life.

Some mornings, are just a bury your head in your coffee mug, kind of morning! 

Thinking:  That this weather has been very different for us Wisconsin-ites!  For over a week we have had above normal temps, highs in the 40-50s, with dense fog for days.

Temp in the truck yesterday when I went to leave my parents at 4:00!!!!

Planning:  We are taking the kids on a surprise trip to Three Bears Lodge for a couple nights, during winter break.  Normally during the summer, we go to Yogi Bear for a couple nights of camping, but it just didn't work into our schedule this year.  So, we decided to surprise the kids....shhhhhh!!!!!!

Excited about:  The doTERRA team is growing!  To see people sharing their oils, teaching their first classes, and going outside their comfort zone.   Seeing others with the same desire to help people feel better naturally is so uplifting.  To see them not doing these things just for money, but to have a heart to serve and help others.

Loving:   The forecast showing sunshine!  My soul needs some sunshine.

 Praying you have a good week!

-Rachel

This Old House: Vol 10

Today, my hubby had off work for an eye doctor appointment.  He needed a few things from Fleet Farm, so the little ones and I tagged along to go "wish list" shopping for the half bath project.  I'm excited that I think we are going to be able to complete the project for under $50!

A couple of weeks ago, I removed all the wallpaper border that was falling down. 

Measuring with LOTS of help!!!

Fleet Farm sells wainscoting in panel form, which is going to be perfect for in the bathroom.  Another plus, it is already painted white!  Now I have the assignment to measure everything up to know how many pieces we need, and how much trim.

Next week, I am hoping to get all the painting done.  All the trim needs to be painted white, the cabinet needs to be distressed white, and the upper walls need color.  I'm still debating between dark brown or tiger orange, like the nursery.

Mother's Musings

Now days with social media, you can make your life look perfect!  One of the reasons I started blogging, was to show that not everyone is perfect.  I can take a picture of my kids, all clean, not crying, being kind to each other.  Is that normal daily life?  Normally 30 seconds later, it doesn't look like that.  Yet, it is nice to look back at those pictures, and remember memories of them sitting still, not pulling hair, and not crying!

Earlier this week, at the Mom's Bible Study I attend, we talked about how social media has made it hard for young moms, comparing ourselves to others through social media.

Today, my 2 youngest have been non stop all day.  Our house is FULL of toys!  Several totes in the basement of toys.  A playroom full of toys.  Toys all over the floors.  Yet, what do they play with?

A car seat base makes a good jungle gym and car ramp!  Cat food container, that's a sensory toy, right? 

Currently as I type, they are eating animal crackers off the floor...I'm not perfect, my kids aren't perfect, so why do we try to make it look that way?!?!?!?

Currently: Vol 10

A few weeks ago, I started joining Hannah at Joyful Life with her "Currently" posts.  I look forward to linking up with her each week with an everyday post of our lives.

Thinking:  How little time we really have with our kids.  Even as a stay at home mom, time is so short with things that HAVE to be done.  Many days, I feel like I've filled time with things I want to do instead of need to do.  Before I know it, they will be grown and gone!  My prayer is that I have spent enough quality time with them and show them God's love. 

One of my favorite times of the day, is listening to dad read to them each night.


Planning: Kids New Year's Eve PJ's. A couple years ago, I started a tradition of the kids sewing PJ pants for our New Year's Eve party at our house.  The kids were already talking about what they wanted this year, so I picked up fabric this last week. Now, they are even more excited for winter break to start!!!!

Reading:  I picked up a few books from the library last week.  It has been a long time since I took the time to read a book for pleasure.  I just finished "Princess" by Lori Wick.

Excited about:  New Year's Eve party here at the house.  My sister, and her husband are going to be flying home for a visit.  Planning a party is always something I enjoy, Pinterest beware!

pinterest.com/rachylea/new-years/

Loving: My latest project from this week.  Chalkboard prints were new to me this year and loving them!  They are images you print out, that look like chalk art on a chalkboard.  I'll admit it, there is a few in my house now.

This Old House: Vol 9

Winter House Tour

This year is snowed really early, so I decided to go ahead and put up some winter decor.  

 

I had "help" setting up the snow village, with Daddy's old train set.  Since this is the only time he gets to play with the train set, he finds it pretty special.  Yes, it probably takes me 10 times as long to set it up, lots of extra cars and animals get added, but he is only little for awhile!

Our snowman fridge! 

 

This -I think- has been one of my favorites.  Especially when "someone" is giggling with delight!!

The entry got a projected added to it.  On pintrest I saw a post of a basket with snow balls and a chalkboard frame that said "You're never too old for a snowball fight".  Being I have a little one that is in to EVERYTHING!  I decided to shrink the project into something that would easily fit on the entry way side board.  My cheap, fast, Pinterest, project paid off.  A good friend had delivered tomatoes to me and forgot the basket.  I asked if she wanted the basket back, and she said, "no it has a broken handle".  So, I took the handle off, used some leftover red paint to add some color.  I have a bunch of extra picture frames around the house, found a 5x7 wooden frame, and painted it.  After it dried a bit, sanded the edges to "vintage" it.  Put my $3.47 snowballs in the basket....finished project.  

So far.....the snowballs have actually stayed in the basket!

Normally, we put the Mason jar snow globes the kids made last year on the coffee table, but I did not think baby girl would leave them alone. They looked pretty lonely up on the piano, Pinterest to the rescue!  The chalkboard sign for the snowballs gave me an idea, and there were a bunch to choose from.

I had a couple cheap, old, black 8x10 frames that I put some white paint on and vintaged, to complete the display. 

Where I got some of my winter decor ideas. 

 http://www.pinterest.com/rachylea/winter-decor/

 

Currently: Vol 9

A few weeks ago, I started joining Hannah at Joyful Life with her "Currently" posts.  I look forward to linking up with her each week with an everyday post of our lives.

Highlights from our Thanksgiving!!!!

Making Thanksgiving cookies!

 

 

Finished product of the Pilgrim Hats and Acorns

It was a little like a clown car, getting all those people in one picture!!!!!

The whole crew

There was even time for a game of Monopoly Jr, after we got home.

I have been SO blessed!!!!