February: Love

Our weekend was quiet and yet things were accomplished.  Small things that are making myself and I dare say us all happy.  We are moving more.  Soccer together, bike riding, walking.  Glorious winter weather with little rain (so far) is helping this to happen.  And art making is happening too.  Which always does me good.  There is no shortage of love here.  And we keep things like Valentine's Day simple for the sake of sanity.

 
Despite the frequent purges to "stuff" that seems to gather around us I always find more to pass on. While doing a recent purge I decided to use some cup hooks to create a necklace display/storage solution in my closet.  And it makes me happy to look at it and I actually wear my necklaces more often.  It's the little things, it really is.

How we do...

... little boy's closets.  Over a month ago we added closet inserts into the boy's room.  We did this for practical reasons like having more floor space for them and for maximizing the capacity of the closets.  After living in a home with built-ins in every closet and seeing how helpful that was for organizing I am a huge fan now.

 This layout was worked out by Dave and I searching out the best components at the best price.  Having sliding doors is a challenge since you can only have one side open at a time.  That means you shouldn't put anything that is accessed everyday in the middle.   The top two shelves were the one that was already there plus the same self and brackets that we removed from our own closet last year.  We just didn't use the hanging bars across.
 

We purchased another shelf and brackets to go above the metal drawers.  The drawers and hanging bar are from Ikea.  For two little boys with very little that needs hanging up this option works well.  I don't think they'll need more hanging space than that for many years.

As you can see clothes, books (lots of them) and blankets as well as stuffed animals and keepsakes are all in this standard size closet.  I was able to get everything except the hand-me-down clothing in there and free up more of our storage room space.

The baskets are great visually and they are easy to pull out.  Overall I am thrilled by the transformation of this project.  Dave did the construction and I have to say that he is a trooper with me when it comes to this stuff.  But he can't ever fully comprehend how happy an organized closet makes me.  It just helps the day go smoothly, yah know?

Rainy day plans

Oh, June.  You fool me every time.  I look forward to you for months and think June, June will bring warm sun and sandals and those long days of outside time.  And then June arrives and it rains and rains and rains.  The most I can hope for 7 days in is sun by the solstice.  The longest day sometimes brings some happier fluffy clouds.  In the meantime though I am still planning.  Planning to bake and prepare things in advance.  Changing over the entry closet from scarves and mittens to sunhats and sandals.  This year, as my kitchen time has certainly grown with each moon cycle (these boys can eat I tell you) I've come to really understand the importance of planning ahead.  Having food to pull out of the freezer; whether it be for smoothies, quick treats for guests, or even the "I don't feel like cooking" blues is a must.   And since those hot days are inevitable (they are coming right?) I don't want to be chained to my stove during the dog days of summer.
And so I've been hatching a plan.  I've been gathering advice and making lists in my head.  On my list is making jam, freezing produce in season and trying to ferment veggies too.  So the main gist of this is that if it's raining I'm paying attention to food.  Even if it is just one small batch of cookies or researching U-pick farms rainy days are the time for it.  Because if the sun is shining we are going to be enjoying it.  Period.
So here is my list of finds that are going to help me keep our summer as fun as possible.

Warmer Weather Batch Cooking - Simple Bites

More Warm Weather Batch Cooking - Simple Bites

10 Things to do Every Day to Stay Organized - Home Your Way

Preparing for preserving season - local kitchen

Camping with Kids - Real Simple

Keep your Summer Organized - Simple Mom

If you have any additions please add them to the comments.  You can never have too many ideas or tips when it comes to food prep and planning ahead.

Spring cleaning

In my magical dreams spring cleaning would look something like Disney's Snow White movie.  Snow White dancing around with a broom in the seven dwarf's home, chanting a cleansing rhyme as the animals of the forest circle her with help in dappled sunlight.  
You know like this...

 image source

The windows would be open, the pail of warm water scented with essential oils, I would be scrubbing with energy and intentions of letting go of the old and welcoming the new energy of the season.  At the end of the day I would look around with a sense of accomplishment at a clean home...

I now interrupt this  daydream with a reality check.

Instead of seven dwarfs I have two little boys.   They circle around me as I try to finish one task; washing the windows, cleaning the cupboard fronts, maybe vacuuming under the fridge.  All the while I hear calls of: I'm hungry, can you fix this, various grunts and yells from the smaller one.   The essential oils never made it to the pail of water, all I can think is please don't spill all  the water on the floor and please let the windows stay fingerprint free for at least an hour.  At the end of the day the cleaning done earlier is a mere speck in the chaos of toys, food ground into the carpet and folded laundry that is now crumpled in the corner.

So the daydream of cleaning remains just that and finishing one task without someone being injured is an accomplishment.  And the crazy chaos of life with littles is our normal and I can't think beyond that for now. 

Girlie

Often days or weeks go by with little to no reflection of being female.  Surrounded by 2 boys, 1 man, trucks, trains, jeans, caps, bikes, sneakers, hockey, rocks, dirt, farts and well, you get it, there is not much of the girlie persuasion around here.  My parent's visit prompted us to move the upstairs rooms around.  Elliott's crib is now in with Kyan and the office has been cleared of baby use.  As I was standing in the hall on Sunday I glanced in the doorway and saw the above.  Not staged in the least the scene looked girlie to me.   And I thought wow, that is my little piece of woman space. 

Granted I have declared on several occasions to Dave that we share this space; it's his too.  If you were to glance a little further into the room you'll find a framed photo of a hockey goalie and various other items that are special to the man of the house.  I think my goal for this room is that it is an adult space, calmer, no toys or kid's stuff in here.  Our bedroom is still all about the kids as Elliott still sleeps with us for part of the night and it will never be off limits to random toys or boy energy of every kind.  But this room can be mine every now and then.  No train tracks, no dirty socks, just fabric, plants, room to sit and think.  As my time for expanding my artistic and spiritual horizons increases by the tiniest increments I see that this space will become more prominent.  It will change inevitably.  But Sunday gave me a little gift and showed me that amongst all the chaos that is raising young boys and being the only double X in the immediate vicinity the girlie is there and makes its presence known.  And I dare say these boys will be all the better for it too.

laundress

Many complain about the mundane chores; dishes, vacuuming, dusting (don't even get me started) but when it comes to laundry, for me, there is a touch of a romantic notion.  It only just recently become clear to me when I was enjoying this view that maybe I would be looked at sideways by some for enjoying the look of a basket full of clean laundry.

My clothesline obsession has been hinted at here and there and has now found a resting place here.  The rudimentary aspects of the laundress, a la Kate Winslet in Quills (minus the insane asylum and unrequited love) appeal to my senses somehow.  Was I a coy laundress in a past life, walking through halls with a basket balanced on my hip and a tune in my head?  
Fancy laundry rooms or pretty washing machines aren't really what I'm going for here.  It is really an aesthetic.  Baskets, fabric,  piles....this is kind of a new revelation and fascination.  I'll have to see if it goes anywhere from here.
Perhaps I'm just finding a little bit of zen in this housekeeping world that many overlook.  Challenging the idea that it is mindless or drudgery.  I'll keep you posted.

so fresh and so clean

Through the fun that is pinterest I found a challenge that over 11,000 people have decided to join.  And for the first time in my search for help in this area I've found a step-by-step organization guide that makes sense to me.  The 52 Weeks to an Organized Home Challenge is following a schedule that I can manage (I think) and I already began week one today.  The kitchen is the starting point and  week one focuses on the counters.  Clearing them of things that don't need to be there and keeping them as clear as possible once you have decided what functions the kitchen serves in your home.  For us the kitchen is about food prep, storage and my mini life control center.
I think for many out there the advice on keeping the kitchen clean or organized may seem so logical that it doesn't need to be noted.  When it comes to my artistic, dreamy and some would say flaky mind these things are not so obvious and bare repeating.
I'm glad to have found this and just looking at my kitchen counters now I see that they are more enticing to me to cook on now that they have less stuff on them.
In other new year news I've finished up two projects and I'm excited to move on to finishing up a few more things before I get back to Ky's quilt and start the Memory Keeper piece for 2012.  Perhaps the New Moon energy would better suit the pace of these days rather than the full moon that shines on us tonight but I'm pleased none-the-less to be getting things accomplished.  2011 often felt like my feet were in mud and I was moving really slow.  Being in the land of baby will do that to anyone I suppose.
I didn't take a before shot of my counters but if you read my last post there is enough proof that this looks way better.

   

disheveled

The key to my days these past two weeks has been to just breathe...that is when I wasn't coughing.  For someone who rarely gets colds this one that made its way through the whole family decided to linger with me far longer than I've liked.  Since we were so busy with birthdays, Yule and engagement and wedding festivities it has been lingering and has made my days feel oh so disheveled.  And while our home is starting to improve it too is painfully disheveled.

Because of course what our home needs is a complete overhaul.  But I am determined not to subject the boys to constant home time, so we must deal with the mess.  In small increments I'm putting away.  I don't want things thrown about in a desperate dash for perceived order.  Rather I'd like to know that things have a place and that they made it there when my head was as clear as possible so that I remember where they are.  I feel like this entire month will be about slowly getting things moving towards a new normal.  Kyan starts his winter classes next week (pre-school and a sports class) and I'm on a mission to finish several projects from 2011 before taking on my 2012 sewing projects.  The quiet of winter seems to be helping in my healing from the cold, allowing myself a slow pace at organizing and finishing projects one by one.  Lots of tea is helping a lot too.

around here

there is wrapping, sewing and craft fair attending, parties appearing and lots of tea drinking.  I'm sleepy these days and unfortunately grumpy as well.  I'm sure the spirit will get me out of the funk eventually.

slowly we are putting things up, making cozy and trying to be present in each little bliss moment of the season.  This holiday is my favorite and I post lots about it every year.  When I'm grumpy I try to focus on the little things that make me happy like the brilliance of red leaves on an oak tree, the warmth of flannel on a cold night and the play of an almost 4 year old with his teddy bears.

Art of the Month: Bathroom edition

Today I'm sharing my latest finished project from Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures.  I created the very cozy towel rug from a thrift store towel and a vintage sheet.  I changed the dimensions so that it fits perfectly in the small space between our toilet and wall in front of the tub.  Dave later informed me that it wasn't wide enough for him to feel balanced on....so the next one will be slightly wider.  This project is really quick I did mine in an hour and a half and it is really easy to throw into the wash unlike the rubber backed rugs that tend to disintegrate over time. 

 

 I love that you can get such instant gratification from a project like this.  And I love the feeling of the terry cloth circles under my feet.  I have plans for at least one more of these so that I can rotate more frequently and because my other rubber backed mat is not going to last much longer.  These mats are certainly the most economical and homey feeling that I've come across.  And they dry really quickly too.

Still so much to learn

We had a wonderful time with my parents in town.  We visited some sights and ate lots of good food with friends and family.  Kyan got lots of grandparent attention, Dave had a week off work, and I felt pampered.  There is something very comforting for me about having my parents close.  It is the security they instilled in me as a child that never goes away despite many years passing.  I continue to learn from them too.  Observation wise that is.  Luckily my parents are not overbearing, they offer advice only when asked to.  But what I learned by watching them this trip is something that I think I can really apply to my life: don't put off things that you can do right now.  My house lacks a pile up of recycling or dirty dishes (dishes due in part to us finally getting our dishwasher) but also because my parents would do the dinner pots and such right after.  Obviously 8 hands are faster than 2 so their help combined with Dave being home kept the house in much better order than I've managed for many months.  But I was struck by how much my procrastination adds to my work load.  While I think I'm resting and I'll have more time later I'm actually creating more work for myself later.
It is also much easier to fathom doing things promptly now that I'm well into the second trimester of pregnancy.  My moody blues are almost gone and energy is in higher supply.  But I want to apply this lesson to all parts of my life and see what it reaps.  I have a feeling that I'll really benefit from it in the long run, as will the whole family.

3 down

I think I mentioned how excited I was to be able to finally choose the window treatments for our new home.  Today I wanted to share the results of 3 windows being finished.  Above are our bedroom curtains, a vintage print that I purchased pre-Dave and love, love, love.  I'm lucky that Dave loves me because he hates the curtains but was willing to put up with them because I love them so much.  I must apologize for the darkness of the photos but all the windows that are done are on the north side of the house and so there is not much light in those rooms.

It feels like a small miracle that I found time to sew in the last two weeks and make these for my kitchen.  My birds are perched and they make me happy too.  Just the little things make me happy these days. 

 

As you can see by the pictures on the floor things are still all over the place around here.  But we're working on it.  I'll share more as soon as we get a cohesive room together.

From the Mountain

Hi all.  Sorry it's been so long.  We are settling into our new home on the mountain.  Moving day was a sweltering mess and we were lucky to have friends who were willing to shed pounds of sweat while getting us transferred into our new home.  Unpacking has been slow but today is the first day since we've been here that is not unbearably hot so we are trying to keep things happening at a steady pace.

A special surprise for Kyan when he first saw his new room.

Our new view to the south.

My attempt to stop sweltering heat from overtaking us.

Who knows where the bowls are?  Ky enjoying ice cream to cool down.

piles, boxes and stuff, everywhere stuff

There is a co-op bbq coming up this weekend so I'm excited to meet more of our new neighbours.   The transition has been challenging for the little guy since he is such a rooted type but with each day that we get a little more put away he seems calmer and more at home.  Could that mean that he'll like to clean his room one day?  A mama can always hope.  I'll be back here again soon.

Book of the Month: July

In keeping with my all about home theme my book this month is Mrs. Dunwoody's Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping: Timeless Wisdom and Practical Advice by Miriam Lukken.  The premise for the book is charming.  Lukken complied the timeless wisdom of many southern women from the 19th century and created her character Mrs. Dunwoody.  She is meant to inspire not make you pull out your hair with inadequacy....and that sort of works for me.  The reason I wanted to read this book is because I am again thinking about my kitchen and how to make it work for me.  I did not study how to run a household in university...lol... but it is a full time job and one that you rarely get concrete guidance on.  My mom's system worked for her and our family, perhaps she'd say it was not ideal but what system is?

I'm not looking for perfection here, just some tips on how to keep from feeling like I'm going in circles.  When you are cleaning up after a two year old, well, there are inevitably circles.  But I take this job seriously and I don't want to stress out and feel like I am constantly trying to catch up....I'm sure we all feel that way.  Parenting as your full time occupation is crazy in it's dose of wonderful mixed with chaos.  Wow, I'm getting off topic here, the book, the book.

Anyway, this book is sweet, and is full of little tidbits but is not exactly what I was looking for.  So if you are looking for good old fashioned wisdom that still applies to today for the most part I would recommend checking it out.  The first two chapters: The Art of Homekeeping and The Cares of House and Home were helpful.  Miss Sallie Anne's Splendid Directions for Laundry lost me a bit since Miss Sallie Anne is never going to be a reality for Ms. Jen.  The Art of Entertaining was similar.  I liked it but I wasn't looking for an etiquette lesson, so if you like that kind of info then check out this book.  My education continues and I will keep looking for a book that offers practical advice for home organization.  Please leave a comment if you have one to recommend.  I need all the help I can get.

Is it over?

Well, never before has tgif had such a meaning for me.  This week has been a challenge to say the least.  It started off fine but by Tuesday night...things took a turn for the worst.  We managed to make it through Ky's first battle with gastroenteritis and the laundry resulting has been done.  We've gone over 24 hours without throw up, yah!  Dave and I are both tired.  I am not an experienced mama with the sick thing yet.  I stress about it quite a bit, maybe I always will. 
The sun has peaked out here and there and I've tried to except that summer is on the doorstep but I need some warmth to really get the feeling into my bones.  Apparently we are due for some sun next week.  Solstice camping is fast approaching, Ky's big  boy bed mattress arrives on Monday and we are 99% on the road to a new place to live.  Our move won't be until the end of the summer and that is perfect to me.  We'll have lots of time to enjoy summer, I won't worry too much about home things and I'll have early September to settle into the new place.  The thing I'm most excited about at the moment is that I'll get to make curtains and window coverings for each room!  Good bye vertical blinds!!!
Grey skies are going to clear up and I'm putting on a happy face.  But I will share in my sentimental fashion that I'll miss many things about this place.  I doubt Ky will remember living here and since it is where he was born I feel responsible for recording all the lovely things about it for him and I to remember should he express interest some day.  So there will be a speckling of posts relating these great things over the next 3 months.  Have a great weekend.  My regular post schedule should resume shortly.