Baby Prepping aka NESTING

Poor James, I've been crazy in nesting mode prior to this week.  I knew we'd be starting school early, which made "nesting-mode" come on a little strong since our trip to Utah.  Furniture moving, cloth diaper prepping, newborn laundry washing, hospital bag preparations, bench building, curriculum buying, carb eating, and new pillow buying are some of the things I've been working on.

I have to be honest and say that I also knew beginning 5 weeks out from delivery, I start to feel very pregnant so my nesting is probably in overdrive.  Here it is 2 weeks away, though I could list all the reasons I'm not looking forward to the next few weeks, my heart is overwhelmed with another blessing.  God has truly revealed Himself this pregnancy.  But for now just enjoy these pics as I have simplified, organized, and settled a little more into my home!

I have added the baby swing to the left of the couch, other than that...I'm loving this simple living!

I can't wait to hang my newborn & kid photos coming in September!

A LARGE shipment from Amazon, James thought I was kidding!  Nope, it filled the whole cupboard! And thanks to Mom and the Sam's Club visit, my kid snacks are well supplied on a shelf in the basement!

Filling this basket has made it so much more real!

Thanks to Pinterest for the bucket assignment for kid shoes!  If they're not in your bucket, not my problem.  Boy, Oh Boy, was I battling this!

2013-2014 Homeschool

In March I attended the INCH Conference with a couple girlfriends! What a great experience to be surrounded by other homeschool families!  I walked away feeling more confident in my role as a homeschooling mom.  I started thinking about the upcoming school year with my kids.  I was picking curriculum for each child, deciding what to buy, and getting excited about writing up my own lesson plans.

I was sharing with James the depth of my lesson planning.  I was struggling with what to do for science. I was excited to include Jackson more this year.  I was ready to begin the Bible curriculum from Firmly Planted, written by Heidi St. John & her husband.

But recently, my reality hit. And hit hard.

I realized I didn't want to be consumed by lesson planning.  It takes a lot of time and a lot of prep.  James, being the amazing man he is said, "Why not give Maizie a solid year and just order a boxed curriculum? AND enjoy our new baby!" 

There he said it!  I didn't know I what I was expecting him to say when I mentioned buying a whole set of curriculum versus just using what I had already purchased and buying a couple things.  What I do know is that feeling of relief. That he understood and that he supported me!

I'm looking forward to this year with a new perspective.  Savoring the sweet cuddles of a new baby, opening a Teacher's Manual and just reading through the daily lesson, reading stories on the couch, and helping Jackson learn his letters.  I know Colton will be there rolling all over us! I am blessed to have this vision in my head and look forward to posting pictures.

Eating Clean

New year, not pregnant, cleaned pantry, organized cupboards, simplifying life, cuddling my kiddos, and settling in for the winter...so on that note I've begun Eat-Clean again. Of course I've modified it to account for nursing and my one sweet a day rule, but I'm already feeling better. And have noticed a difference on the scale. I am also working on switching back to frothed milk in my coffee versus cream, easy to lose the calories when the milk is frothed!

To add to my plan this time, James even found this cool app for my phone that lets you scan in the items you consume and keeps a log of your calories and weight loss, exercise, and a whole bunch of other things.  My parents blessed us this Christmas with a Wii, so I'm working on setting up my info and decide on my workout routine with the Wii Fit!

Also, I've ben working on ways to reduce our grocery bill. I seem to have forgot that buying fresh and eating healthier snacks is more affordable than prepared and or processed foods!  I've simply not been buying anything more than cereal and crackers. My Research King of a husband found a new meat market just north of us, that sells local Michigan products, specializing in organic meat! So the kids and I stopped in last week and found a few products. The kids were so well behaved while I talked with the owner about meat, Michigan farmers, and his business. He gave the kids a piece of licorice, then gave them another during checkout! I like Kroger, but the clerks there don't offer healthy licorice!!!

First Snow Kickoff

Supplies needed for our first snow!!!

Very Sappy Christmas Tree

Your Cranberry Salad

This year my Cranberry Salad has these ingredients:

2 c hot water mixed with 1 one box of raspberry jello

4 c cranberries, chopped

1 c sugar

1 pineapple fruit cup

1 apple, diced

1 orange, diced

And of course chilled overnight, I anxiously look forward to tomorrow to taste this with a dollop of whipped cream!

Jammies Day

It was jammie day at MOPS today, so to keep up that relaxed attitude lunch was indoor picnic style!!!

Defining A Mess

I am sitting here drinking Comfort And Joy Republic of Tea. I look around my house and see:

1. Kitchen counter with clean dishes that need put away

2. Sink full of dirty dishes

3. Two laundry baskets full of newborn baby needs

4. A pile of children's book because someone dumped the basket

5. Dollhouse pieces everywhere

6. Couch cover missing because someone spilled their milk

This is last night's mess.  I don't usually leave my house like this, I like it picked up at the end of every day. But yesterday was one if those rare days that exhaustion on James and I's part set it. The kids fell asleep around 7:45, then James fell asleep at 8:45. Talk about an early night!  So today it appears my list is already prepared of things for me to accomplish. I'm just glad my family found rest yesterday, so today I do not mind the mess!

Ironing...my Nemesis

I hate it! We all know that! I've fought it for the 7 years I've been married, ok, maybe not fought but at least denied. In fact, one of the highlights of Canadian living is that James would have his shirts dry cleaned! Give it up for not having to iron for ONE WHOLE YEAR! However, something happened, something changed.

We moved back and our budget doesn't allow for craziness of taking shirts to the cleaners. I knew it was coming. James has been preparing me for it. The reminder of this time-consuming task lingered every time I did the laundry.

So finally yesterday, I ironed. It was more out of necessity, as James needed to wear a shirt and tie today. He woke me up to say goodbye this morning and he said, "The shirt looks really nice, you did a great job ironing it!" Oh seriously, did he say that? I mean in my mind I'm thinking "Yeah right, he just wants me to iron all his clothes." But whether or not he had a hidden agenda when he said that, I do feel like this is one way to show my love for him. And his tone was really sweet! Call me a sucker!

Chore I Hate...

I hate cleaning my bathroom floors. Who puts white ceramic tile with white grout in a bathroom! Over the last 7 years of cleaning it, I've tried every cleaning chemical and scrubber! I thought the Clorox bleach pen was going to work, so I got down on my hands and knees and colored along the grout lines. (Sidenote: I hate the harshness and toxicity levels of Clorox and don't even keep it in my house!) This is not the first time I got on my hands and knees to scrub my little hands dry either! I have to dust the floor first, wash the floor, make sure the rugs are cleaned, takes me 25 minutes to clean a floor that's 9x5 ft of space! Are you kidding me? I can think of all the things I can do in that time, this just seems to be never-ending, especially since I do it weekly or sometimes 2x week because I hate looking at the dirt on the white!

A List

My friend, Meagan, did this LIST over on her blog and it was great...especially for a List-Maker like myself. Please join us and do this on your blog too!

Making: via knitting a red lace scarf and a gray pair of mittens
Cooking:
Drinking: gross Ammaretto coffee
Reading: Summer on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber
Wanting: Converse Shoes
Looking: at my kids playing, Maizie pushing her stroller and Jackson walking with a cup in his mouth
Playing: animals and making their respective noises
Listening: Hillsongs, getting ready for their concert in a few weeks
Wasting: that's rare, because our township Recycles a lot of materials
Sewing: about 6 nightgowns for Maizie
Wishing: in was Autumn
Enjoying: when my family of 4 is together
Dreaming: of another little baby due in December
Waiting: for the motivation to organize the kids clothes and their closet
Liking: Tazo Passion tea lightly sweetened over ice
Wondering: if it's a boy or a girl
Loving: my little family
Hoping: for a safe delivery of Baby #3
Marveling: at the miracle of life
Needing: to clean and finish laundry
Smelling: fresh brewed coffee
Wearing: maternity jeans...oooh so comfortable
Following: the Bachelorette and the occasional reading of people.com
Noticing: that buying thriftly is a huge cost save...give it up for Goodwill/Salvation Army/Garage Sales/Village Discount Thrift Store!!!
Knowing: Jackson's hair will be long enough on top to spike-it in a few weeks!! :0)
Thinking: I miss my husband and he just left 3 hrs ago for CA
Bookmarking: Sesame Street.org, PBSkids.org, and sprout
Opening: the diaper bag
Giggling: at Maizie's coaxing to get her brother to do follow her
Feeling: excited

Simplify

In my crazy attempts to unpack from Canada and all our travels, I am in complete "SIMPLIFY" mode! I have been cleaning out, clearing out, and tossing out like you wouldn't believe. When the garbage man came this week, I had two large black trash bags full (this did not include my normal weekly rubbish). I have started a pile in the garage for Salvation Army, too. This is my "Nesting Phase I" for this pregnancy!

I did have some fun this week organizing my sewing closet. I found the blue buckets and rod for $10 at Ikea this week! I am loving the easy access to scissors and other sewing notions.

I worked some simplifying magic in the Great Room, which included some awesome kitchen cabinet clean-out!!! I mean do I really need forty cookbooks, when I tend to look up a recipe on the internet as my first go to place?

I Miss...

So yet I again I find myself packing up our belongings and moving to another place. I was rummaging through my pictures and decided there were a few things I've really been missing from my own house. I miss seeing my Hope Chest my Dad made me. I miss going to MOPS and our church on Sundays. I miss walking through my foyer seeing my Great-Grandpa Jim and Great-Grandma Muriel's radio cabinet thinking it looks perfect in that little nook. I miss having a rocker to rock my little son when he has some long nights. I miss the easier access to our family. I miss changing my decor to suit my mood and the season.

I miss this wooden highchair, the brown and pink tablecloth, and you can barely seen it in the far left of this photo on the counter...the cupcake cookie jar!

I miss our friends! This is Maizie's friend Ashton, who is the son of my friend Caressa. But we will keep missing them as they are moving to Texas for 4-6 months because of "Daddy's job" as well!

I miss piling my kiddos in my chair and taking their pictures. I have about 20 photos of them together in this chair, some with blankies, some with Converse shoes, some with jammies, some with Teddy!

I miss racing the cars on the long hardwood planks. And I posted this picture for Maizie, she keeps asking me for her kitchen...see it there in the background.

I've been fighting a cold these last few days, and as I was laying on the "hotel-like" couch here, I was picturing my comfy couch with pillows and my kids and I having a jammie day!