//couch // jute rug // coffee table // color rug // planter // chair // book case // chandelier //
Mid-Century Modern seems to be the rage in the design world. I love the cool lines that this style offers. Everything looks sleek while still being cozy. Plants always add a cozy element to any room. Throw in this colorful rug layered on top of a larger jute rug, and you’ve got yourself a wonderfully cozy space for your family to hang out.
Happy Wednesday.
I think it’s Wednesday. The big girls have stayed up until at least ten playing and fighting. Harper has been waking up ridiculously early thinking its morning. Today, it was 1:30 AM. I have to go in and turn her light off, put her to bed, and lay on the floor next to her bed while she flops around for hours. I crawled back in my bed at 5:30.
I am so desperate for sleep. I feel completely miserable from exhaustion. Insomnia has reared its ugly head for me again. I will happily accept any tips for getting my kids to sleep. I can’t keep laying on a floor for hours. (If you think they MUST sleep in after all of that, NOPE.)
We went to the library on Monday. It had been a while, but it was fun. Our librarians are so nice and never kick us out with all of our chaos. I asked one of them if we were the only ones this crazy when we come in. I quickly said “and please lie to me and say yes!” Thankfully the girls are cute, so they can get away with more. Harper was putting the books she picked out in the return bin and then hollering because she couldn’t reach to get them back. Gracious..
I honestly feel like I am losing my mind. I’m in such a state of delirium. I haven’t read much because my eyes can’t focus very well. I’m trying to overcome the terrible mood that a lack of sleep for days upon days causes.
Pity party here.
On another note, We are planning to do a spending freeze for the month of February. We have never done one, but I think it’s needed. I am planning ahead so we don’t run out of toilet paper or anything. Or worse, coffee.
I’ll try to take notes and write about our experience and any tips I find helpful. I think the biggest tip is going to be to tell your family and friends not to invite you to anything. Ha!
We have said that if a sickness pops up and we need to stick up on popsicles and soup, then we will make an exception.
Have any of you done a spending freeze? Do you have any tips going into it? Do you have any tips for getting my kids to sleeeep?!
ZzzzZzzzzz
Happy Wednesday.
I think it’s Wednesday. The big girls have stayed up until at least ten playing and fighting. Harper has been waking up ridiculously early thinking its morning. Today, it was 1:30 AM. I have to go in and turn her light off, put her to bed, and lay on the floor next to her bed while she flops around for hours. I crawled back in my bed at 5:30.
I am so desperate for sleep. I feel completely miserable from exhaustion. Insomnia has reared its ugly head for me again. I will happily accept any tips for getting my kids to sleep. I can’t keep laying on a floor for hours. (If you think they MUST sleep in after all of that, NOPE.)
We went to the library on Monday. It had been a while, but it was fun. Our librarians are so nice and never kick us out with all of our chaos. I asked one of them if we were the only ones this crazy when we come in. I quickly said “and please lie to me and say yes!” Thankfully the girls are cute, so they can get away with more. Harper was putting the books she picked out in the return bin and then hollering because she couldn’t reach to get them back. Gracious..
I honestly feel like I am losing my mind. I’m in such a state of delirium. I haven’t read much because my eyes can’t focus very well. I’m trying to overcome the terrible mood that a lack of sleep for days upon days causes.
Pity party here.
On another note, We are planning to do a spending freeze for the month of February. We have never done one, but I think it’s needed. I am planning ahead so we don’t run out of toilet paper or anything. Or worse, coffee.
I’ll try to take notes and write about our experience and any tips I find helpful. I think the biggest tip is going to be to tell your family and friends not to invite you to anything. Ha!
We have said that if a sickness pops up and we need to stick up on popsicles and soup, then we will make an exception.
Have any of you done a spending freeze? Do you have any tips going into it? Do you have any tips for getting my kids to sleeeep?!
ZzzzZzzzzz
I set a goal of reading 10 books in 2018. I have allowed reading to get shoved off of the table of my life, which is so unfortunate. I have always loved to read, so I set a small goal for this year. One day I will be like Janssen, and set a goal to read 100 books a year. This is not that year!
I shared some of my thoughts on my first book, The Magnolia Story, over here. My second book for 2018 was Movers Shakers Mommies and Makers. (It is less than $5 right now, and there is only one copy left!) I started off the year with a couple of really inspiring books that have given me the motivation and inspiration to dream big dreams.
This book shares the stories of several women who dreamed a big dream, took a leap of faith, and have succeeded greatly. Many of them are husband/wife teams, or best friend teams. This isn’t a sugar coated story book. These women took big risks. They had struggles and setbacks along the way. They lost sleep and money. But, they overcame and are thriving.
I found it really inspiring to see where many of these small companies came from. Many of these companies are brands that I have used and LOVE (Hello, Tubby Todd!), so it is especially exciting to see their humble beginnings.
So often, we limit ourselves. We think that we could never achieve the things that we dream of doing. While reading these stories, I thought, “What if they had never tried?” If Andrea and Todd had never set out to make awesome bath products for babies, I’d still be struggling to find something that worked for my daughters’ eczema. If Elle had never sewn her soft and cozy wraps, many mamas may not be baby wearing today. So many of these stories involve products that make a parents life easier and more enjoyable.
I highly recommend this book if you are wanting to start a small business of your own. I also recommend it if you have any kind of dream that you are doubting yourself with. This is a fun and easy read that will leave you inspired to do something that you are afraid to try!
I encourage you to find a copy of this book and read it!
The flu is a maniac this year. People are coming down with it left and right. Now, I am NOT a doctor. Obviously. I am a huge fan of natural remedies to help deal with miserable symptoms. (I also greatly appreciate modern medicine. I just prefer to stick to a natural route whenever it is possible.)
The Best Supplements to Prevent and Treat Cold and Flu
Oscillocococcinum This stuff has been sold out in our local stores and most online stores! It’s crazy!
Thieves Oil!!! I diffuse this daily and we have a roller bottle that we rub on the bottoms of our feet. It has made a HUGE difference in my family’s wellness.
Elderberry syrup– These gummies are also a good alternative. I give my girls these. (I made my own using these.)
We have been very proactive at using any and all preventative measures that we know about. However, I know that we are still at risk of catching some of these nasty bugs. So, we are stocked up on what we will need if we do end up coming down with anything. I don’t want to be miserable and in need of supplies. We’ve been scrambling in the past, but NO MORE!
Happy Friday!!! It’s definitely Fri-YAY here!
Have you ever had a book that just spoke right to your heart? When you finished it, you were sad because it had ended. That is exactly how I felt with The Magnolia Story. I honestly felt so inspired by Chip and Joanna’s words. Not in a “I want to flip a house” way either.
I really wasn’t completely sure what to expect. I am a HUGE fan of Fixer Upper. I love Joanna’s style. I think they are such a fun couple. But, I didn’t expect God to use this book to speak to me. (You need to read this book, even if you have no interest in design.)
Their stories of overcoming obstacles and following God’s calling for them moved me to tears. Mostly because, I can relate so much to what they went through. There was one paragraph that I read where I had to stop and have Scott read it also.
This is exactly how we have been feeling. We walked out the door of ministry and the door closed behind us. It has been painful. It has been hard. A few paragraphs later, she said “That’s the thing with doors. They can always be unlocked.”
We know that this season is not forever. We aren’t currently in full-time ministry, but we are still serving the Lord right where we are. We fully believe that the door is going to open again, even if it may take a few years.
God uses all of these painful things in ways that we never could have imagined. If we had stayed in Oklahoma, even though it was NOT where God wanted us, we would not have been here with Scott’s dad while his time on earth was ending.
Now that we are months removed from wrestling with God over the decisions that we needed to make, I see even more how beautifully his hand was in everything. His hand was in it so much that even our DOG was taken care of. We had no income, but still had bills to pay. I did not want to get rid of our rescue puppy, because that would have devastated our daughters even more; but I did not want anyone else having to take on the financial burden of paying for his needs. My sisters, mom, and I started getting e-mailed coupons from Petsmart for bags of free dog food. Once we were able to get our feet back under us some, those e-mails stopped.
You guys. God cares about EVERYTHING. Our little dog had free food for an entire summer while we wondered how we were going to make ends meet. Every time he would start to run out, another e-mail would come. Just let that sink in.
It is NOT easy to walk away from what is comfortable and give everything up when God calls you to do it. But, there is a peace that will come when you fully let go and trust Him.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
Our path may be nowhere near we ever thought it would be. In fact, it is facing a completely differing direction than we thought. But, God has been with us EVERY step of the way.
We had a big day in our house yesterday!
Ok, not THAT big, but still exciting for us.
All of our girls were due for eye exams one to two months after we moved. Womp. We had to wait for insurance to get worked out, and have just been dragging our feet.
Addi’s glasses broke. I super glued them. The broke in another spot. More super glue. Another spot. Ok, fine. I’ll call and make an appointment. She was so excited to pick out new glasses. She did such a good job with all of the tests and was so patient as her doctor and I talked about Fabry disease and how it can affect the eye. She picked out pink frames again after trying on around 10 pairs. The material is a much better quality than what we had before. Hallelujah!
She has been wanting to get her hair cut again for quite a while. Her hair grows really quickly, and was SUPER long. I figured I’d take her to a the salon and get it cut while we were there or it would never get done. Here is a before. (The static had her hair flying everywhere.)
Her hair is so beautiful. It tangles easily and she gets frustrated by it. I will not ever force her to keep long hair. I know how frustrating it is to sit on, get stuck in a door, everyone’s hands get caught in it, it strangles you at night.. on and on and on.
She looks so stinking cute with her new hair cut!!! She was really excited about it and keeps saying, “I’ve never had it this short!” I am obsessed with her toothless grin. haha!! I have to hide my giggles when she tries to take a bite in front and cannot do it.
I was freaking out internally the whole evening because I have such anxiety about sickness entering our home… but we survived it so far. 😉 I just want to stay at home until Spring.
In other exciting news, Chloe got a 100% on her spelling test!!
Everyone celebrated her!! Spelling and phonics do not come easy to her, so this is a big accomplishment! I’m also proud of how well she is doing with her cursive since this is her first year of learning it. This homeschooling gig is not easy. It’s probably the hardest thing I have ever done- juggling teaching two different grades at once. But, in the end it is so rewarding.
I’ve been getting a lot of questions about homeschooling lately. I am not an expert by ANY means. I’m learning and in the beginning of this journey myself. I’d be happy to answer any questions that you may have, so feel free to ask. I’ll answer if I can! There are so many great homeschooling groups on Facebook where I go to ask my MANY questions.
Happy Tuesday! I hope that you are staying warm and well wherever you are!
Happy Monday!
We had a pretty calm weekend over here today. Scott worked on Saturday, so the girls and I just hung out around the house. They played games, and I went into our bedroom to clean and move our dressers around. I hung up a shelf for most of my oils (they don’t all fit). It’s really fun to see the rainbow of color on the wall. Our bedroom is mostly all earthy tones. It’s so relaxing and I love it.
Just so you can see the fruit of my labor:
Yes, we have mistletoe hanging from the fan above our feet. HA! It makes us laugh.
Sunday, Scott did the preaching at church and taught Sunday School for our youth pastor. There have been family emergencies and flu bugs going around with MANY people in our church family. Once we got home and ate lunch, I started diffusing thieves in all of the rooms. Immune support is incredibly needed right now. Then, we all planted ourselves on the couch and stayed there all day- reading, watching movies, and just being together. 
I’m so very thankful for this family of mine.
// crib // swaddles // woven basket // rug // Macrame Wall Hanging // ruffle crib skirt // lamb mobile // star mobile // Merino wool blanket //
I love Amazon. That is no secret. When I was putting together Addison and Harper’s nurseries, I was ALWAYS shopping on Amazon. Free two-day shipping and low prices are my love language. I still love looking at baby stuff, even though I am now beyond the baby years. I thought it would be fun to put together different nursery ideas with all amazon products.
All amazon links are affiliate links. Your price does not change one cent. Should you purchase an item, a portion of your purchase will go to me. Thank you for supporting me!
2. Movers, Shakers, Mommies, and Makers
3. No More Faking Fine
4. Longing for Paris
5/6/7 The Hunger Games series
8. Love the Home You Have
9. Uninvited
10. Present Over Perfect
There’s quite a variety in genre of the books on my list. I like a lot of things; personal development is usually my favorite. I have neglected to make the time to read, which is a shame because I LOVE to read. Ten book is quite the feat for me to achieve. If I can tackle this list early, I have a few others that I’d like to read, so I’ll add them below.
11. The Year of Living Danishly
12. The Magic of Motherhood
13. Chasing Slow
14. Girl Wash Your Face
15. A Simplified Life
I am also wanting to know if any of you have the She Reads Truth Bible. What do you think of it, if so? I am wanting a good study Bible for myself. I have a homeschool moms Bible, but I am more than a homeschool mom, right? I’ll happily accept any suggestions.
My Four Arrows 