back to life, back to reality

This past weekend, my mom and I spent 3 days in sunny Arizona for Creative Escape.......a weekend filled with creating, crafting and consuming (food not alcohol)!! We laughed a lot, made a few projects, and met some amazing women along the way. But the best part for me, was that my passion was scrapbooking was reignited.

I'm not exactly sure why, but over the past year, my desire to scrapbook has all but disappeared. Because I am working more? Because I have a 2 and 4 year old? Because it's not convenient? Because I wasn't inspired? Because I was in a rut? Because I was overwhelmed?

It was probably a combination of all of those things. But after this weekend, I am ready to jump back on the scrapbooking bandwagon. I am ready to document our memories again. I am ready to create magical moments, and then record them for eternity. I am ready to pair photos and words to tell our story. I am ready to "taste life twice."

I was reminded this weekend that despite scrabooking's somewhat corny reputation, there is nothing corny or frivolous about being the family historian. Every time I make a scrapbook layout, or a mini-book, or take the time to write down something silly my children said, I am showing them that they are important, that they matter, that they are loved. I am leaving our mark on history. I am elevating the "ordinary."

So it's time to bust out the supplies again and get crackin.' Thank you Creative Escape for reminding me.

p.s. I decided to leave my big SLR at home this weekend, and only brought the point-n-shoot = huge mistake!! The above photo is the only (and I mean ONLY) photo that I can even stand of myself. I couldn't figure out how to turn off my flash (no one at the event could figure it out either), so every single photo looks blown out, blurry and ridiculously unflattering = another lesson I learned this weekend......just bring the darn SLR!!!

a new school year

And so it begins......a new school year!!

I realized last year, that the first day of school is usually a bit rushed, and not exactly the ideal time to get lots of good "back to school" shots, so this year, we staged a little photo shoot the afternoon before the big day.

My little girl is definitely growing up because this year, she actually asked to have her picture taken, and was very involved with the "props" and "staging" :)

Little brother wanted in on the back to school action too!!

back to school donut party

If success is measured in friends, family and donuts, then our Back to School Donut party was a success!! I am really glad that we did this even though it was spontaneous and a bit last-minute, and I'm hoping to make it a new tradition at our house.

I really liked having the party early in the morning so that the kids could have a couple hours of fun (before the heat set in), and everyone still had time for last minute back-to-school errands. And the clean-up was easy-peasy :)

We had plenty of donuts, juice and milk!

Pencils in Mason jars made for easy and festive decor

the Back to School mantle

Apples as a centerpiece and punched out apple confetti

Our kitchen chandelier decked out for the party

The party favors (I also did mini chalkboards)

Fun in the pool

Sweet friends

Lots of laughs

Sienna and Grant had been talking about "the party" from the minute I suggested it, and they were so excited every time someone new knocked on our door. I hope our guests had as much fun as we did!

planning

So I casually mentioned to dear daughter the other day that we should do something fun before school starts up again....maybe throw some type of party or something?? It was actually a really good reminder to me that I should never casually mention anything to a four-year-old unless

am fully prepared to follow through with said idea :)

Needless to say, we are hosting a very small, casual, laid-back "Back to School Donut Party" at our house in the morning, so I have been browsing the internet for the past few days looking for cute ideas.

How cute are these photos!!!

images courtesy of one charming party

I also found an adorable Back to School party over here. Love her ideas and set-up....so very creative!!

I will show photos of what I came up with tomorrow......wish me luck!!

around the house

Here's a little glimpse around our Home right now:

1. The bulletin board in our kitchen is about to get a major overhaul, so I thought I would snap a few pics of it in its "Summer" glory. School starts next week for us, so between now and then, I plan on taking everything off and starting with a clean slate for the new school year. I go back and forth about whether to keep this bulletin board front and center in our kitchen.....it isn't particularly decorative and it doesn't exactly "fit" with the rest of our decor, but I have decided that the joy that my children get out of it far outweighs my need for a certain decorating theme. Not a day goes by that I don't catch one of my kids staring at our memory board or pointing out someone they see. I believe it gives them a sense of pride and belonging to see their artwork displayed (on the wall, in scrapbooks, on their bedroom doors) and to have their photos displayed all over their home.

2. Here's a shot of how our mantel looked last night. I went with a very simple theme for Summer this year.....just a few candles, a lantern, blue Mason jars filled with shells and a few of my favorite books in shades of blue. It actually rained last night (for a total of about 10 minutes), and it was a nice break from the 100+ temps we've been having.....so I decided to dim the lights in the living room and light the candles.

3. This is our new Home Management station. I've had this crate forever, and decided recently that it needed to be put to good use. Now it sits by the phone in the kitchen and is filled with (1) our new Home Management Notebook, (2) a file folder for each of the kids which holds papers that need to be dealt with in the very near future (permission slips, notices of upcoming events, etc...), (3) inspiration pages torn from magazines that need to be filed in my Inspiration Notebook, (4) a blue business card holder, (5) a purple coupon organizer, and (6) a compositions notebook for messages, notes, ideas, etc....

4. A peak inside our pantry

5. And here is a little something that makes me happy = the "J & K" (for Johnny and Kristy) that leans up against the mirror in our bedroom. I see it every single day, and it reminds me that we are in this together!!

right now

1. She is a fan of Cheetos (I can't remember where she first encountered them, but she is officially in love)!!

2. We are all fans of arts & crafts!! She loves telling people that they did a great job and that they are "artists." He loves coloring, cutting, painting and sticking stickers everywhere but on the actual craft table. I love that I moved the craft supplies out of the laundry room and into a cabinet in the kitchen that can either be locked or left open (so that the kiddos can reach their own supplies) depending on how brave I am feeling.

3. He is a fan of pineapple! And strawberries and bananas and peaches and oranges and blueberries.

4. I am a fan of taking pictures. I haven't picked up my camera as much this Summer as I would have liked, but I am feeling the urge again.....to carry it with me, to capture the "small" moments, to document our days, to peek at life through my lens.

simplifying life with kids (part 2)

Here are a few more pointers in the ongoing quest to simplify our lives while raising kids:

(7) Don't schedule too much

* At this stage in our life, this hasn't become much of a problem for us. My kiddos are only 2 and 4, so we haven't quite reached the stage of non-stop practices, recitals, sleep-overs, etc.... BUT my goal is to remember how valuable down time is for a healthy childhood and to stop myself when the urge to over-schedule rears its ugly head.

(8) Have Dedicated Family Times

* For us, this is dinnertime and the weekends. During dinner, we talk about our highs and lows and name 3 things we are thankful for.

* I want my children to have fond memories of mealtime and sitting around the table as a family, so I have made an effort to keep things more peaceful at the table......which is not easy when a certain 2 year old refuses to sit in his seat and throws food at his sister, and when a certain 4 year old continually irritates her brother by kicking his seat and taking food off of his plate. I have tried to maintain my patience, speak in a gentle tone and minimize time outs during dinner.....it is a work in progress!!

(9) Simple Clothing

* For me, this means buying "outfits" or clothes that are easily interchangeable whenever possible.

* I also try to go through closets and drawers every couple months and donate what we have outgrown = NO overstuffed drawers or closet rods!!

* One thing I need to work on in this area, is being more discriminating when choosing which clothes to SAVE. I have big plans of having a quilt made for both kiddos out of their "special" outfits, but one box a piece should really be enough.

(10) Always Bring Snacks

* I have found this to be an invaluable tip many, many times but there are still times when I forget to bring snacks, and I always end up paying for it!

* I recently bough a cute basket at TJ Max with a little chalkboard label on the front that I put in the pantry and stocked with pre-packed snacks. This has served 2 purposes: the kids are able to get their own snacks in the afternoon (limit 2) and I can easily grab a couple packages on our way out the door for the diaper bag.

* Always pack 2 of each snack to minimize bickering over who gets what and Always bring water bottles

(11) Keep an "Emergency Kit" in the Car

* I have done a version of this in the past, but really need to be more consistent. Items to include: baby wipes, change of clothes, little activities/reading material, a towel, sunscreen, bug spray, small first aid kit

(12) Communicate as a Family

* I still think my kids are a little young for a very structured Family Meeting time, but as they get older, I love the idea of having a regular time to come together as a family to talk about prayer requests, household issues, to plan trips and fun outings, to compliment and thank each other, and to discuss ways in which we can improve as a family.

simplifying life with kids (part 1)

I have a thing for the concept of "Simplification." I love the idea of it. I love how it feels to fill garbage bags and bins destined for the trash or Helping Hands. I love reading about tips on how to live with less, how to cut corners and save rather than spend, how to slow down, how to live in the moment, how to enjoy the journey. But sometimes, I find the process of simplification to be a bit like shoveling the driveway while its still snowing. The toys, clothes, scrapbook supplies, books, etc.... in our home seems to magically multiply on their own. Yet, I still strive for a life that is more simple, less complicated. I still clean out closets and try to resist the urge to spend hundreds of dollars every time I walk into Target. I have not given up!!

Yesterday, I came across an article I had saved on my computer a while back (I came across this article during my quest to "simplify" my inbox and inspiration folder on my computer). I remember quickly scanning it the first time I came across it, but this time I decided to really think about how I could make these concepts work in our home, for our family, at this stage in our lives.

(1) Teach Your Children Self-Sufficiency

* sometimes its just easier to do it yourself, but it is time to start enforcing a little self-sufficiency around our house = brushing teeth, making beds, putting plates in the sink, getting dressed

* thinking of starting a Star Chart with a list of chores and rewards

(2) Keep One Calendar

* starting today, I will enter ALL activities for every family member into my iphone and I will make these entries as soon as I become aware of the appointment, recital, practice, etc...

(3) Regular Cleanups

* we do a pretty good job of this at our house already, but I like the idea of letting the kids know that we will have scheduled/regular cleanup times every day (before bed, before meals, before leaving for school in the mornings)

(4) Quiet Bedtime Routines

* OK, so this is an area that needs tweaking in our family.....we have recently gotten into the bad habit of letting the kids watch about 30 minutes of a movie nearly every night before bed...the result has been that the kiddos are less interested in reading and become quite angry when we suggest we might do something else

* starting today, we are going to reserve some nights for "Story Time" and other nights for "Movie Nights" (we are trying to decide which night will work best as Family Movie Night where we all watch a movie together, make popcorn and make it a special weekly event)

* the rest of our bedtime routine will stay the same = dinner, clean up, baths, brush teeth, pajamas, story or movie

(5) Prep the Night Before

* when school starts, I am going to make a huge effort to get things done the night before....this will include packing lunches, preparing back packs and laying out any forms, projects, etc...that need to be turned in the next day

(6) Toy Bins

* this is another area that we are doing really well in....I have toy bins in both kid's rooms as well as in the playroom, and I am not super strict about making sure everything gets put away in the "correct" bin, just that everything gets put away in a bin

* every couple months we go through all the toys and either throw away (broken, missing pieces, Happy Meal) or donate (outgrown, no longer using) and then I re-arrange them into their proper bin

To Be Continued............

the end of Summer

The end of Summer is upon us. June and July have come and gone, which means the beginning of the school year is just around the corner. For me, that means frantically trying to cram everything in that I meant to get to this Summer, but never quite found the time. It means silencing the inner voice that says we didn't "DO" enough this Summer. It means looking back through all the photos on my computer and smiling at the memories we made. And, of course, for me, it also means making a list of those memories:

Our Summer

lots and lots of popsicles

celebrating Daddy's birthday with family

a bridal shower for a precious friend

art projects for Sienna

a Summer notebook

potty-training for Grant

big boy underwear

S.O.F.A. camp

way too many trips to the doctor for me

allergy injections

a fantastic fireworks show

a trip to Santa Fe

lots of time in the pool

swimmer's ear for daddy

Grant surfing behind the boat (while mama was out of town!!)

discovering Pinkberry

sleepovers at GaGa's house

playing with cousins

a picnic on the front lawn

taking the guard rails off Sienna's bed

going back to work

trips to the park

staying inside during the 100+ heat waves

discovering Pandora

a run-in with bag worms in the flower beds

standing in line for the iphone 4

swim lessons

2 rounds of strep throat

a concert on the lake

Sienna's first sparkler

reading great books...and a couple not so great books

spontaneous play dates

a neighborhood crawfish boil

a dance recital

a serious obsession with silly bandz

photo album scrapbooking

a date night for mama and daddy

a home management notebook

and more memories to come......