food for thought

If you have the things of this world, 

but can do without the things of this world, 

then your heart will have the detachment that is necessary to make prudent and wise decisions.
-Mustard Seeds

Just a little food for thought as I continue to purge the closets/storage spaces :)

Hubs has been out of town and comes home tonight!

We always miss him when he travels, and are always so happy when he comes home!

I *try* to clean the house a little extra before he comes home, so no major purging today.

I think I can take care of the tupperware cupboard and the top of the fridge.

See you tomorrow! 

Closets, now with more breathing room!

So...I haven't fallen off of the 31 day series yet ;)

Last night I tackled my closet; just spent about 20 min, my goal is not to burn out, but to finish this project.

After 20 minutes I had two piles , one for the trash and one for a future garage sale*.

garage sale items to the left, trash to the right...clutter be gone!

As I am currently 8 months pregnant, I'm not wearing a good portion of my wardrobe.
Totally made getting rid of stuff that much easier.
Too small pre-pregnancy? Out.
Ripped, stained, needs mending? Out.
Shoes too tight/worn? Out.
That pair of boots I've been meaning to have repaired for 3 years? Out.

the random paint stick is in the trash pile! and yep, i buy all of my shoes at tj maxx ;)

I don't fix clothes, maybe I will in the future, but for now I don't.
I'm choosing to live in the now.

So I have more room for my stuff, and more free hangers.
I was totally going to buy more hangers...now I don't need to.
Awesome.

I also found a stack of books under my hanging shirts...that explains why all of my shirts have strange creases and they don't move along the closet rod very well.
Half the books are going. Yes!
The rest are finding a new home.

And tonight?
Tonight I vacuum the closet. Yes!

Hope you are having a great Tuesday!

Anyone else recently purge their closets?

*Garage sale...it's like a dirty word around here. I think I might have my post topic for tomorrow...

31 Days to Cleaner Closets

Welcome to my clean closet mission!

Bebe #3 is on the way, and I need to get my house in order...otherwise I'm afraid I just might lose a child in the clutter.
Watch me organize my closets and storage spaces.

I guess this is the space I'm using to organize all of the posts (imagine that, a post to organize posts about organizing...hmmm...)


Day 1 - Movie Monday - Welcome to my Master Bedroom Closet
Day 2 - One day in, and stuff is already leaving the house :)
Day 3 - Food for Thought
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Day 16
Day 17
Day 18
Day 19
Day 20
Day 21
Day 22
Day 23
Day 24
Day 25
Day 26
Day 27
Day 28
Day 29
Day 30
Day 31

Movei Monday, 31 Days to Cleaner Closets!

Here's the deal: 3 out of 4 people in my home are currently on antibiotics.
Fun! All hail the amazing Z-Pack!

Keep that in mind while you watch today's movie...it will explain everything ;)

For the past few years The Nester has done a 31 days series in October and everyone loves it, and all of the bloggers that participate seem to have so much fun.
Last year my friend Rebecca did a 31 Days to Wrap your Crap series, and it was pretty fab. This year she just did one follow-up post...perhaps I should take that as a cue to not do a 31 day series?
Nope. Still all kinds of crazy and totally up for 31 days of posting.

 

So basically, Bebe #3 will be here in roughly 8 weeks; my closets and storage spaces are very very bad.
I fear that if I don't do something now, I just might lose a child in my home.
So I've got 31 Days to Cleaner Closets.
I'm linking up, and everyday for the month of October you will get an exciting post about my closets, probably some randomness as well, and with any luck a few hints for tackling your own clutter magnets.

Happy Monday!!!

Are you joining the 31 Days series? 

Share your URL in the comments, I'd love to follow your journey!

movie monday: current house projects!

Warning!
My hair is weird today, also, zero makeup.
Possibly some crazy eyes.
I don't do second takes, folks ;)

Anyway, I thought I'd just skim over some of the projects going on at the house right now.
Of course there are always projects going on...totally normal, right?

Enjoy!



A few posts about the entryway...video post, painting and updating the light fixture.

Any projects going on at your house?

some recent milestones

We rode the Lake Express from Milwaukee to Muskegon to visit family.

a random stranger asked if he could take a pic of us, that never happens! thank you kind sir!

It was fun! #2 slept during both trips, #1 slept on the return trip (the water was really choppy) - I thought for sure he was going to get sea sick; I'm so glad he took a nap instead.

First day of K4!

my backpack is still way too big!

#1 now goes to school (1/2 day) 5 days a week.
He is loving it and so excited to tell me about everything they do (today he was very impressed with a Clifford the Big Red Dog art project). I admit we miss him while he is at school, but I have gotten so much done around the house, and #2 has no problems getting into trouble without his big brother ;)
PS - the school crest includes an image of Mary, and my sweet boy loves to point her out "This is Mary, see Mama?"
Melts my heart.

This guy moved into his big boy bedroom!

sleeping peacefully with bunny

So for now the nursery is empty...which means I can start sifting through the baby stuff and taking inventory of the few things we need/would like for #3...but first I think we will be refreshing #1's bedroom.
I see Star Wars art in my future :)

And today is our 9th Anniversary!
And I would totally scan a pic for you...if I could just get my hands on them ;)
Instead, enjoy this pic of Hubs eating a warhead..

happy anniversary honey!

Happy Thursday, friends!

FB friday - my favorite statuses from August

Welp, it's been a month since I have posted.
August flew by, folks, just flew right by.

This little space here is where I keep track of all of the stuff we do...except lately I haven't been very good about adding little bits of cuteness from the boys, projects in the house, travel stories (oh my, there has been many), etc. I have been keeping a pretty good running list of stuff on facebook...but after a few days everything fades away, and then it feels like the memories are lost forever.

So I was thinking.
Every Fri (or you know, as often as I remember) I could list all of the FB statuses (of importance) as a way to catalog stuff. I like it.
If you want to join in too please add a link in the comments :)

August 1
#1 is headed to the Brewers game with Daddy :)
#2 will nap soon :)
I will eat a cookie, without sharing!

August 2
Target sells porn in the checkout lane.
I am nursing this baby where ever the heck I need. No more hiding in a bathroom stall or dashing out to the car.

August 9
The only solution to getting rid of these ants seems to involve also getting rid of the 2 and 4 year old.

August 11
Minivan parked in the driveway, baby #3 on the way...I believe the transformation from sorority girl to soccer mom is complete.

August 23
According to #2, we are eating Mac-n-Jesus for lunch.

August 27
First day of school! #2 and I already miss #1 :(

August 28
Harold and his purple crayon have nothing on #2 and his green jumbo crayon. Oy...I need more magic erasers.

August 30
#2 wants sprinkles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

movie monday, blast from the past!

I wanted to post a movie, but I have zero motivation to talk to the camera (also my children are loud today).

This commercial has been running through my head lately:



As a young child I was absolutely convinced that a bus full of the happy Sweet Pickles characters would show up at my door. I made it my mission to pester my mother until she caved and ordered me Sweet Pickles.
She refused.
Again.
And again.
And again.

Good job Mom!
I think of this every time we are at Target and my children demand in demon voices ask nicely for a new toy, or whenever we drive past McDonald's and I hear a chorus of "Happy meals! Cheeseburgers!!"

I know that I drove my mom nuts, she is mostly alright today ;)...my sweet boys will not break me with requests!
I learned to read without the Sweet Pickles flashcards, my kids won't starve if I don't hit the drive thru everyday (even if they are suddenly STARVING).

I am turning into my mother.
It is wonderful! (for real, my mom is awesome)

Anyone else channeling mom lately?

"Sweet Pickles is great!"

i made you some jam

If you watched me ramble on Monday, then you know, that over the weekend, I went to the farmer's market with my parents.

I did.
And we found a new cafe.
And I had lemonade while my dad had a bloody Mary.
He's mean like that ;)

I came home with my usual, large haul of loveliness...and a nice container of wild raspberries.
They reminded me of the berries we'd pick at Camp Narrin growing up (tear).
Imagine my surprise when they were not as sweet as the berries of my youth.
Adding sugar seems to fix everything, so I decided a small batch of jam was in order.

Using the power of the google, I found this recipe.

So easy. So delicious. Nom nom nom.

Ingredients:
equal parts raspberries and sugar (I used 2 cups of berries and 2 cups of sugar)
squeeze of fresh lemon juice (optional, but I highly suggest this)

What you do:
1. Place freshly washed berries in a sauce pot. (as the jam cooks it will double in size, so plan accordingly)
2. Mash the berries while you bring them to a rolling boil over med-highish heat.
3. Boil for 2 min.
4. Add sugar and lemon juice and stir well.
5. While stirring constantly, bring to a rolling boil.
6. Boil for 2 min.
7. DONE! Place in sterilized jam jars and seal (I just stuck mine in the fridge, we'll go through this jam super fast)

jamminess...noms

Joining the fun at Ashley's Ta-Da Tuesday Party!

movie monday: Darius Rucker, deodorant and my awesome mom

Happy Monday!

I turned on the webcam and started talking...and then the kids decided to go bonkers.
So this video feels more outtake-y than usual.




Now excuse me while I pump up my old Hootie and the Blowfish CD's.

movie monday - yep, i can ramble on thursdays too!

Watch me ramble for 3 min about coffee, routines, kids and well...not much else.

All the cool kids are doing it!



And I am cleaning the basement.

Have a lovely Thursday!

routine-ing

I like routines.
Back in the good old days (2003ish) of newlyweddedness (why is this not a word?) I found the Flylady and I loosely used her system to set up cleaning routines, etc for each of our houses.
It was great, our house was generally presentable, bathrooms were company ready, and I had time to care for my family and do some fun things. The biggest bonus was that listing each of those houses wasn't as big a deal as it could have been.

But when we moved last year, I never set up routines for myself.
As we tell the 4 year old - that was a poor choice. I added two bathrooms and about 1000 sq. feet to my cleaning tasks. Let me rephrase, I didn't add them - I only clean the basement bath before over-night guests arrive (our guest room is in the basement), the rest of the household chores are completed randomly when I decide that the cobwebs are too numerous to ignore or I can't remember the last time I vacuumed the stairs.

Combine that cleaning methodology with a pretty awful bout of morning sickness (did you miss my announcement yesterday?), two little boys, and a husband who was traveling for most of my first trimester.

The house felt like some sort of experiment.
Or one of those terrible air freshener commercials.

(this also explains the blogging hiatus)

And now I feel like I am digging my house out of the mess. It's no fun. I need routines.

Here's what I have been doing the last few weeks, and there's a noticeable difference around here (yay!).

Mon.
*change bed sheets
*clean bathrooms (haven't ventured into the basement yet)
*chuck old fridge items
*laundry - sheets, one load of clothes

Tues.
*errands
*dust (in theory - hasn't happened yet)
*vacuum 2nd floor
*laundry - towels, one load of clothes

Wed.
*clean some widows or mop kitchen floor
*vacuum 1st floor
*laundry - delicates

I didn't list all of the normal stuff - making beds, cleaning the kitchen, etc - and there is a bunch of things I'd like to add to my routine - baking day, closet organizing time. This is good for now, I have a cleaner home and doing super fun stuff with the kids is not guilt-inducing.

we like to do fun stuff! and summer buzz cuts - hello cuteness!

Yay routines!!

Do you have a household routine? 

Ever heard of the Flylady?

sometimes...

Sometimes, when the kids are being really quiet, I think "They're being so good, quietly reading and playing so I can enjoy my coffee and catch up with the internets." And then you snap back to reality and realize...they are being quiet because naughtiness is happening.

And you walk into a living that looks like this:

monkeys, blonde monkeys

Hmm...yell? throw your hands up? one more lecture on not destroying the nice furniture?

Nope, I decided it was a nudge from above to vacuum the furniture.

So now it is clean and put back together...

And of course I couldn't stop with just the vacuuming, the train table (which we hauled up from the basement playroom in Jan.) is heading back downstairs, everything's dusted (finally!), mantle is freshly made up and I have grand plans of picking up some summer throw pillows.

My living room is going to feel so fresh!

Sometimes...all you really need is a little bit of happy chaos to add to life's wonderfulness.

And that's just what is happening around here...baby #3 is due the end of Nov!!

We are thrilled, I know three kids (and let's face it, we all know this will probably be another boy :D ) will create even more chaos, but along with the chaos is so much love. I can't wait :)

Anything exciting happening in your world?

Hello!

I want to talk to you :)

Details on the SALE! 

24 hour *Flash Sale* - while supplies last!

50% off Hematite Cupchain Bracelet: $29.50

40% off Copper Cupchain Bracelet: $23.40

30% off Pyramid Double Wrap Bracelet - Cognac: $41.30

movie monday, on a tuesday

Good morning!

I'm feeling chipper today, despite the fact that my hair refuses to cooperate and I just realized I left my relaxing balm in Michigan (Dear Susie, please don't use it all.). Also I am most definitely growing my bangs out for the summer, and they just hit weirdo stage.

Here I am rambling a bit about the current state of the entryway.



I really can't find my web cam.
It's most likely under the desk, having been knocked down by a small child.
But I'm too lazy and skeered of spiders to check.
Please tell me you are also convinced that spiders live in the tangle of computer cords under your desk.

Happy Monday friends!

procrastinating

We're hosting a farewell party.
The party is tomorrow.

So far I have ordered subs and a cake.
I also picked up parachuting army guys for the kids.

self portrait at a wedding last weekend

Some things I have done today:
Read Horton Hatches an Egg...32 times.
Framed a random embroidery project and hung it in the bathroom.
Cleaned the laundry room.
Vacuumed the living room (the rest of the house is still waiting).

Why I am so content to procrastinate the party planning???

I think I am just sad to see my friends leave.
And it's raining; rain does nothing for my motivation levels.

Off to be productive.

Have a great weekend!

a vlog about coffee saving the day

Confession: I sort of really love making a video on Monday mornings.

And because it is Monday, I feel like it's okay for you to see my hair before it is flat ironed, my face before it is made up and my office before it is cleaned in its natural state of disorder.

A hint: if you start the video, then pause it and restart, my voice syncs up to the video a bit better, otherwise you can pretend it's a Kung Fu movie.
Totally your choice.

Have a lovely week!

Smooches!

the entry has been painted

An alternative title for this post:
"Entry 2.0, Now with Less Anger!"

You see, when we moved in the entry was red.
Late 90's, early 2000's reeeeeeed.
I've done that color before, I am over it.
I needed it gone.

move in day

Also, the light fixture was this horrible alien pod.
It scared me.

dusty

I have a new happy place :)

calm blue ocean aka MS Magnetite

I am so much calmer now.
Really. I am. (see, no exclamation points = calm)

But I was not calm while painting the very-tall-wall-on-the-stairs (vtwots).
Because the ladder was at a really steep angle, and pretty much 8000 17 ft. high.
I climbed up to cut-in the ceiling (that's my job).
I bravely thrust my paintbrush into the air.
and then i started crying
I really did. Hubs talked me down and did the cutting in and rolling.

rolling...he was higher for the cutting-in

He totally owned the vtwots.
He is my hero. (no exclamation point, because I am so calm)

Have a calm day :)

Joining the party at Mommy by day Crafter by night

it's a fashion vlog (kind of)

Happy Monday!!



Here is Kendi's 30x30 Challenge.
Read her blog.
You are welcome :)

Two more fashion blogs I am loving:
Momma Go Round - I linked up to one of her Real Momma, Real Style posts a few weeks back, and she featured me on her Facebook page! I just about died :D
Hems for Her

Oh hey...remember the giveaway I offered last week? I wasn't kidding.
I am totally going to send someone my pristine, still-in-shrink wrap, copy of the Dawson's Creek series finale.
And I will probably throw in a few fun things that you will actually want - you like coffee and chocolate, right?
If not we need to have a serious talk.

Anyway...hop on over and leave a comment on that post, I'll be drawing a winner on Wed.

Smoochies!

laundry room/mud room

Earlier this year (I know, it's already March. What?!), I teased you with some amazing pictures of my laundry room.

Well, at least I thought I posted some shots of my laundry room...I guess I just put up pics of my washer and dryer sitting in my kitchen.
How very helpful of me ;)

Anyway...the project is almost done!

Here it is the day we moved in:

not my washer and dryer...also, awesome mirror doors

And when we had the floor replaced:

goodbye worn out vinyl!

And the (almost) after:

it's starting to come together :)

I was looking for a more useful room.
If you park in the garage, you enter our home through the laundry room.
And we are park-in-the-garage people.With two super active boys I needed this area to function well.

My list of wants/needs:
* retractable laundry line
* mop/broom storage
* space for my laundry tubs
* storage for coats/hats/shoes
* place for little ones to sit while shoes are put on/off
* place for my purse to land
* hook for keys
* hook for backpacks

So far we have:
* retractable laundry line - perfect for drying hats and mittens! (we found it on amazon)
* mop/broom station (not pictured) (also from amazon)
* space for laundry tubs
* hooks for coats
* bin for hats, etc.
* bench (from overstock.com)
* key hook (re-purposed from my closet in our last home)

looking in from the kitchen

Things to come:
* shelves over laundry tubs
* baskets for the overhead shelf
* cover overhead shelf in fabric?
* paint old closet rod
* basket to hold clothes pins
* mirror on back door


That's all I've got :)

Joining The Before and After Party at Thrifty Decor Chick.

just another movie monday - and a giveaway!

I sort of like talking to the camera on my computer.
For about 1.5 minutes.
Then I want to run screaming ;)



Here's some info on the 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge.
If you aren't reading Sarah's blog - Clover Lane, you should be, I like her.
A lot.

And my giveaway!
It pains me to do it, but I am graciously offering one of you my unopened copy of the Dawson's Creek Series Finale.
The box proclaims "exclusive never-before-seen extended cut"
I have no idea what that means, but I will let you tell me after you've watched it :)

I'm a giver.

Giveaway rules:

1. US only, I'm pretty sure this DVD will only work in US DVD players, sorry international friends.
2. Leave me a comment, otherwise I don't know your undying love for Dawson.

That's it.

Have a wonderful Monday!

PS - In the video, when I say "it's lint" I really mean "it's Lent" I have no clue where the accent comes from, I am Midwestern, through and through.

me, talking to you

I'm too lazy to type this morning.
Also, two weeks ago I mentioned maybe doing Movie Mondays around here...let's call this attempt number one.



Don't be too jealous of my hair, totally slept on  still and fine, but it'll hit total grease-ball stage around 4 PM.

Also, I'm not sure why I squeak at the end?

Happy Monday friends!

What's going on this week?

randomness from me

We had a fun Valentine's Day.
Hubs brought me flowers and a small box of chocolates (I told him Mon night - if you do bring chocolate make sure it's a small box - next week is Ash Wed).

He's pretty excellent.

I gave him a Mason jar full of green M&M's.
That's what happens when you buy a few bags of Christmas M&M's on clearance...you put the red ones in gorp for the kids, and the green ones into a jar for your love.
Perfect.

We've already vacuumed the first floor. The stairs, upstairs and the basement are next. We need the house to sparkle for Grammy and Papa!
(they arrive on Fri!)

The boys are wearing a diaper and a pair of batman underoos.
It's Feb in Wisconsin.
Whatever. I figure they'll wrap up in blankets before hypothermia sets in.

more raisins!

I need to get them dressed.
I should probably put on some concealer.
We need to go to the mall and buy new shoes for #2 and then hit up Trader Joes and pray the shelves contain cilantro.
Maybe we'll go to 5 Guys for lunch...could totally go for a bag of fries.

never enough coffee. never.

That's all.
Smooches.

eating ice cream in the winter

On Sat we took the boys to Dairy Queen.
I won't lie, we pretty much had ice cream for dinner.

Highly recommend. 
Highly.

#1 enjoyed his first ice cream cone - he ate it so fast there was no time for it to make a melted mess.
#2 was so cold from his ice cream he could hardly get the spoon into his mouth.

Somehow he soldiered through ;)








I'm thinking movies on Mon might be fun.
Not always of the boys (although, they are pretty entertaining)...what do you think?

a pinterest menu

We had a relaxing weekend.
We played.
Moved toys around.
Moved furniture around.
Cleaned.

It was good.
The week ahead looks exciting.
St. Valentine's Day and Grammy and Papa (my parents) are coming to visit!

YAYYYYY!!!!! So Happy!

But I was a bit stuck while planning this week's menu...and Duh! I remembered all of the noms I have saved on Pinterest.

A few new additions to our food repertoire for this week:

Breakfast:

Source: savoringthethyme.com via alannarose on Pinterest

Source: simplyscratch.com via alannarose on Pinterest

Source: plainchicken.com via alannarose on Pinterest

Dinner:

Source: skinnytaste.com via alannarose on Pinterest

Source: recipekitchen.net via alannarose on Pinterest

Source: cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com via alannarose on Pinterest

Source: marthastewart.com via alannarose on Pinterest

Source: tasteofhome.com via alannarose on Pinterest

Source: canyoustayfordinner.com via alannarose on Pinterest

A little Baking:

Source: rfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org via alannarose on Pinterest

Source: recipetips.com via alannarose on Pinterest

Looks like we have a yummy week!

And, if you are like me, and couldn't figure out how everyone makes such cute Pinterest posts...here's the tutorial.

Are you following me on Pinterest?

Any really excellent boards I should be following?

stress and clutter

This week has been a bit chaotic and stressful.
Last week was peaceful.
I can only find one difference...last Mon Hubs came home with beautiful flowers for me.
It set the tone for the week.
Things were pretty great.

I think it had something to do with the lack of clutter on my kitchen island.

The flowers were on the island (because #2 is in that incredibly dangerous 20 month old stage - he enjoys climbing, sticking things in electrical sockets, eating soap), basically nothing on the kitchen table is safe.
So I kept the island clean, because there was this pretty vase of flowers that my sweet husband picked out just for me.

The flowers lasted until Mon morning.
Bye bye flowers.
Hello clutter.

real life

How does the island get this cluttered in just two days?

And why does this induce so much stress?

I'm off to detox the island.
And then finish off a fashion post (because you love to see what I wear!).

Do you have a clutter hot spot that turns you into a massive stress-ball?

my silly boys

Sometimes Mondays are a real drag.
We've had a good day at our house, and I just found this silly video...I figured I should share it.
It's a little grainy, and slow at the beginning, the real action starts around 0:24...I think the actors are adorable ;)

Enjoy :)

why you should always make your bed

I've mentioned before that I generally make the beds everyday. At the end of the day, I just really like to climb into a nicely made bed.

The real reason you should make your bed everyday?
You just never know when the police will stop by to inspect your home.

Wait, what?!

Oh yes, nap time last Tuesday turned into a three ring circus.
I had just tucked #1 in and heard my cell phone ringing.
It was my sister, letting me know that my alarm company had just called my dad because a silent distress alarm went out from my house.

Confused yet?
Me too. I'm still unsure why my dad didn't call me, I guess he hung up the phone (after speaking with the alarm company), looked at my sister and said "the cops are headed to Alanna's house, maybe you should call her."
DAD, if you are reading...the answer is YES. If police officers, firemen, ambulances or Jehovah's Witnesses are headed towards my house, you should always call and let me know. Thanks.

Anyway.
I tried to call the police department and let them know I didn't send a distress call, but if officers are dispatched they check on you no matter what (actually that sounds pretty reassuring, carry on officers). So I kept an eye on the front door to avoid them ringing the doorbell and waking up my happy nappers.
(please tell me you are now singing the happy nappers jingle)

And two really nice and professional officers checked on me to make sure everything was okay.
And because I was a wee bit freaked out, they swept my house just to make sure...

You haven't lived until you've seen cops go down your basement steps with their guns drawn.
Alright, their guns weren't drawn, but they did have their hands on them, and they didn't turn on the lights, they used flashlights...very CSI. Creepy and cool at the same time.

Also, they checked upstairs where the boys were napping, and we must have ninja cops around here because they went into the kids bedrooms and opened their closet doors and both boys.stayed.asleep.
I know!
I can barely sneeze and they wake up.

But getting back to the nicely made beds...the family room was a shambles, Legos, duplos, dinosaurs, #2 has been carrying a Thomas coloring book around and shredding it nonstop. I thought about this for two seconds, then I realized my bedroom was clean, the bed was made and everything was tidy so I didn't care about toymaggedon, I figured if they would judge me, they would see that I make the beds (even though 2 were occupied at the time) and that little bit of effort would go a long way towards my clean house credentials.

So make your beds!

tradition

I'm not much for resolutions.
Some years I make lists of goals, usually they are abandoned by Feb 3.

I saw a few people choose a word for the year.
I like this idea, so I'm doing it too.

tra·di·tion [truh-dish-uhn] noun

1. the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice: a story that has come down to us by popular tradition.

2. something that is handed down: the traditions of the Eskimos.

3. a long-established or inherited way of thinking or acting: The rebellious students wanted to break with tradition.

4. a continuing pattern of culture beliefs or practices.

5. a customary or characteristic method or manner: The winner took a victory lap in the usual track tradition.

(thank you http://dictionary.reference.com/ )  

And, because I cannot hear the word 'tradition' without hearing Topol; I'll leave you with a Fiddler on the Roof clip.

Linking up at The Lettered Cottage Word of the Year Party.

weekend makeovers

Working on a few makeovers this weekend.

Sitting in my kitchen...

Because we are refreshing the laundry room. Woohoo!

I planned ahead.
Washed all of the laundry.
We should be set until Monday (when the laundry room will be back together)...
Except #2 wet through his diaper.

But then the best thing happened.
I called a friend to see if we could visit and do a little laundry.
That means I have friends! Not just the kind that you wave at from the car during preschool drop off.
The kind that let you co-mingle wet-flannel crib sheets.
And eat frozen pizza with you, while the kids run around like banshees.

It's so nice to have friends :)

The second makeover of the weekend...

MY HAIR!
I'm going back to something like this.
But maybe some bold bangs.
Or something like that.

my winter mantle

I made my mantle purdy for the winter.

i see a blue duplo

Gold, sparkle, white...so peaceful, so different from the sea of duplos, legos, dinosaurs and star wars toys on the floor below the mantle.

The little elephant came from an antique store run with my MIL.

elephant noise. really, how would you write that?

A happy place for me.

do we like the watermark?

Linking up to the Winter Crafts and Decor Party at the CSI Project.

Hop on over for some inspiration.

a plan of attack and a menu - shazzam!

Mon night, as Hubs was tossing the boys into the tub, I checked my email. There was a friendly reminder from #1's preschool teacher to remember boots and snow pants for recess.

Boot and Snow Pants...
Yeah, I meant to buy some, and then there was no snow, etc etc...oops!

So I found myself at Kohl's and Target at 8 PM (word to the wise - Target still has everything and it's on clearance).
Don't worry, the little man was appropriately dressed for preschool recess (there's not a ton of snow, but it was 10 degrees). In fact he even got in trouble for starting a snowball fight.
That's my boy!

Anyway, in an effort to prevent more late night runs for necessities, I have devised a list of goals for this week:

Organize Tupperware cabinet
Clean up Christmas (note - not "put away" just neaten up the new stuff)
Clean the fridge
Attack the pantry (if you don't hear from me, call the authorities)

It's a short list, because it's a short work week :) and since I know you were on pins and needles - I accomplished my list from before Christmas.
Go me.

Now for the menu:
Tues: l- soup, d- pork chops, apples, spaetzle
Wed: l- grilled cheese, d- chicken and rice bake, roasted tomatoes
Thurs: l- PB&J, d- ham, zucchini, strawberries
Fri: l- soup, d- leftovers
Sat: b- cereal, l- leftovers, d- quiche, broccoli, salads
Sun: b- waffles (I got a waffle maker for Christmas!), l- mac&cheese/leftovers, d- tater-tot casserole, fruit

Cheers to a New Year!