Can you believe that May is just around the corner??

Like in two days, around the corner?

Holy cow where is this year going to?!

I decided to set some goals for the month of May. This is just my way of keeping myself on track and making sure that things get done around here. Plus, I'm hoping that if I post these things for the world all of you to see, maybe I will be more inclined to accomplish said goals.

1.) Run, run, and run some more. 
This goal is an important one for me. I recently started taking a few supplements in the hopes that they will help balance my hormones and allow me to loose some weight. Let me tell you, I feel great! Well, the next step in continuing to balance my hormones is working out on a regular basis. Thus, running, here I come.

2.) Deep clean our kitchen, bathroom, dining room, and Daniel's room. 
This is just something that I like to do around this time of year. It's my way of welcoming spring and summer and making sure that the excess in our house is gotten rid of.

3.) Make Sarah's t-shirt quilt
Sarah, if you are reading this, please forgive me for neglecting it for the past almost two years. I'm so sorry and I promise that this will get done this month. I'm really excited about it and, again, I'm sorry that it has taken me this long :)

4.) Peel the wallpaper border down on the sunporch. 
Sorry, but the Arizona/New Mexico theme just isn't cutting it for me anymore. Ha, actually, it never did. So down it comes!

5.) Enjoy our stay-cation
Now, this really doesn't need to be on the list, because, well, any vacation would be enjoyable. But I want to be intentional about enjoying our time off, at home. Jonathan and I are looking forward to doing a bunch of work outside and having some time, together, as a family. I can't wait!

6.) Organize all of my computer documents
And for goodness-sake, if this doesn't get done this month, I may go crazy. The chaos that is my 'Pictures' folder on my laptop, needs to be contained. This will be remedied this month.

So, there you have it. An ambitious list, but one that I think I can handle. I will be back at the end of the month with an update for y'all!

What is making it on your to-do list this month??

What I'm Reading

Happy Saturday everyone!

Today, I thought I would share what I'm currently reading. These are the things that clutter (in a good way) our coffee table and my nightstand. I love to read and can't seem to get enough of it these days.

I really enjoy picking a book up in my hands--please tell me you know what I mean?! Nothing beats the smell of an old book and the feeling of the pages. I remember watching my grandma read to me. I would watch as her perfectly manicured hands would turn the pages. She had a way of turning them just so. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of her reading to me. I have been slowly collecting all of the books that she used to read to us. I can't wait to share them with Daniel and any future kiddos.

I attribute my love of reading to my grandma. I remember a time when I really didn't like to read. To encourage me, and my brothers, she would pay us a dollar per book--depending on how long it was. Once I started, I couldn't stop. I think she would be proud to see that I'm blogging. I know she would have been my biggest fan.

So, today, I wanted to share with you what I have been reading lately, in hopes that maybe you will pick up one of these books yourself!

Tip: turn off all electronic devices an hour before you intend to go to bed and READ. I find that I have an easier time falling asleep and I tend to have a more restful sleep as well. TRY IT! 

This first book I'm reading as a sort of devotional. Keep a Quiet Heart by Elisabeth Elliott is a compilation of the newsletters that she used to send out. She reminds her readers, time and time again, to focus on God and His promises by quieting our heart and listening for Him. I can't say enough about this book. I love that each letter is short and sweet. Elliott also has a way of convicting you without overwhelming you. When Daniel goes down for his morning nap, I grab a cup of coffee, this book, and my Bible and curl up on the couch for a bit. I love taking a moment to focus and start my day off on the right foot. (Also, to my fellow CCCers, I'm currently borrowing this from the church library, so if you would like it when I'm done, let me know--or you can find it there) 

Lately, the book that I like to read, right before bed, is the third book in the Mitford Series. Written by Jan Karon, these books follow the life of a grandfather-esk Episcopal priest (thanks Donna!) as he navigates the Lord's calling. These are fantastic books if you are looking for an easy read--I think that is the best kind of read right before bed. I love that the books are faith based, without being over the top. They are uplifting and quirky and you fall in love with the characters in the small town of Mitford really quickly. I highly recommend these. (CCCers, again, I'm borrowing this book from the church. The entire series isn't there, but most of it is!) 

Finally, I just got this book yesterday, but guys. Seriously. If you are a mom, you need to get this book. After seeing it referred to by a bunch of my favorite bloggers, I knew that I had to give it a try. No More Perfect Moms by Jill Savage offers up a great perspective on mothering. I can tell this is going to be a life changing book for me. I've only read a couple of chapters, but Savage really has hit home for me. She challenges the pressures that young moms often put on themselves to be perfect--doesn't that sound refreshing?! No more perfection?! Ok, I'm on board with that! Seriously, read this book. Just do it.

I'm always looking for another good book to add to my stash. Please leave me suggestions of books I can't live without reading! I'd love to hear what you have enjoyed lately! 

Daniel: Nine Months Old

Well, it happened. Daniel turned nine months old and I didn't have a heart attack.

Does this really mean in three short months that he will be a YEAR OLD?! 

NO! Not my BABY!!!

Yea, it really does mean that. And while part of me wants to somehow make him stay small forever, another part of me is really excited to throw his one-year-old birthday party!  Move over My Super Sweet Sixteen, Daniel's first birthday is coming to town.

Possible themes: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Camping/Outdoors, or maybe we will just freestyle it and take all of the brilliant ideas off of Pinterest and combine them into one party. Thoughts?

So, our little man is growing up. He now weighs approximately 24 pounds and is 28 inches long. We have a doctor's appointment in May and I will have official stats for his ten-month-old post, then. He is still wearing 12-18 month clothes and I'm contemplating the switch to just 18 month stuff. His pants are getting a bit small, but have plenty of length to them--the typical cloth diaper conundrum. I may try to squeeze out a bit more time in the 12 month stuff.

We celebrated Daniel's first Easter this past month and, if you missed it,  you can read more about that here. We also have spent more time outside, enjoying a bit of warmer weather. Daniel loves going for walks in his stroller and absolutely adores the swing at the playground--hopefully we are able to get our swing up soon! I can't wait until the ground is dry and the sun is out more consistently. I'm looking forward to spreading a blanket under our maple tree and letting him play outside in the sun!

Daniel still hasn't figured out how to crawl forward yet, but he is doing a modified version. He will roll at an angle back and forth on his arms, which allows him to move forward a bit. I love to watch him process how to get to something--which currently just involves a lot of rolling. He still loves to stand at the couch or chair and play. He is figuring out that he can lift his feet and move if he wants to. If we are holding his hands, he may take a few steps forward, but after that, he prefers to just stand and look around. I'm really glad that he seems to be in no hurry to crawl/walk--it gives me more time to figure out how to baby-proof our house!

Hmm...what else. He still is eating two meals a day with bottles filling up his tummy in between. For my future reference, we are currently feeding him six ounce bottles and have been doing so for about a month. He still loves fruit and Greek yogurt for breakfast and we usually puree whatever we are having for dinner, for his dinner. He has mastered the art of picking up puffs and we give them to him occasionally so he can work on his fine motor skills. He also has been testing out his new front top teeth that have come in. With four teeth in total, he is learning the art of chewing.

His favorite things to do still consist of playing with his baskets of toys, jumping in his bouncer, or hanging out with Daddy. We are still at two naps a day--which vary in length and sometimes are whittled down to one long, late morning nap. He goes to bed anywhere between six and eight, depending on his naps, and wakes up between six and seven in the morning.

I feel like we really have established a good rhythm at home, and though things seem to change daily, I no longer feel anxious about taking care of Daniel. I am feeling more and more like myself and I think that Jonathan and I both are pretty adjusted to being parents. Everything may be new and unexpected still, but it doesn't seem to bring as much stress anymore. We love our boy and are so thankful for him. What did we do before we had him? I can't even remember. :)

Easter 2014

Easter was extra special this year as it was Daniel's first. Having a child adds a whole new aspect to holiday celebrations. As we go through each holiday with Daniel, I have been thinking about traditions and the various things that I want him to learn about each holiday. I love coming up with creative ways to combine the traditions that Jonathan remembers with the traditions from my family. My goal is to create meaningful holidays for our family. I want them to be focused on the real reason for celebration, our Savior, and to involve a lot of family time. 

This year we started things off simply. Because Daniel is only nine months old, I know he won't remember much and I didn't want to get bogged down by having too many things to do on Easter. Rather, I wanted to just be able to enjoy it as a family. I didn't stress about coordinating our outfits. I didn't worry about getting the perfect pictures. And I didn't have the day all planned out with tons of things to do. (Not that any of the above things is wrong, I just knew it would stress me out and I wouldn't enjoy the day)

Instead, our day consisted of a simple Easter basket for Daniel and Jonathan. We went to brunch at church and followed that by attending our Easter Sunday Service. The afternoon brought a nap for Daniel, a run for Jonathan, and a little house work for me. And then my dad joined us and we all headed over to our friends' house for Easter dinner.

It was a beautiful day filled with meaningful moments spent with family and friends--who have become family. I can't wait until next year when we can celebrate again and enjoy even more Easter traditions--an egg hunt anyone?! 

Everything Under the Kitchen Sink

Spring is here (just ignore the snow)...and boy does it have me in the mood to clean and get rid of the excess stuff in our house! Time to make everything smell lemon-y fresh and donate the extra stuff that seems to just appear over winter. To Sal-Val it goes!

This past weekend, the hubster and I worked outside. He cut down pesky bushes that had started growing in places they shouldn't be. We cleared sticks, lots of leaves, and trimmed down our front bushes. It felt SO good to work outside in the sun.

We also worked a bit of magic inside too. The space under our kitchen sink has been a frustration for me. While I'm glad to have the storage space, it isn't enough to corral all of the stuff that needs to go there--our compost bucket, laundry stuff, extra dish soap, and various other cleaning things. This house just has such little storage space, that I have to be extra creative with what we have!  And let me tell you, the storage under the sink was certainly lacking in creativity.

Anyways, I asked Jonathan to whip me together a simple shelf that would help expand our space. I wanted something that could hold my extra bottles of vinegar (that I use for cleaning) and bleach (that we use to clean our basement periodically).

Jonathan made me a simple shelf out of some scrap wood and then put a screw through the top into the wall on the side to anchor it.

After he did that, I got to work cleaning the shelf. It was covered in coffee grounds that had missed the compost bucket. I also had a few spiderwebs that had taken up residence by the radiator.

       

Once everything was clean and smelled good again, I put all of our stuff back in. Extra products went to the right and all of the things I use on a regular basis went to the left. The compost now has it's own space and everything is much more accessible.

Now, I need to redo the curtains that hang in front. They are waaaayyy too small for the openings and are definitely not child friendly. I have been thinking about asking Jonathan to make me some simple doors that we can use a child safety lock on. We shall see.

What quick projects did you do this weekend? I love when a task is simple and easy, but makes a huge difference.

Function Over Form

Design for the sake of design isn't really my thing. Sure I like to surround myself with a beautiful home, but if my space doesn't function for our everyday needs, then we have a problem. Living in a small home (our house is a skosh bigger than 1,000 square feet), my goal has always been function over form. Thus, many of the furniture items in our home serve multiple purposes and have been chosen based on that instead of being picked based on ascetic.

For instance, the new-to-us bench in our living room operates as a child safe coffee table, a storage unit for magazines and toys, and a comfortable place to rest our feet while watching TV. Is it what I would have purchased for the space, look-wise? No. Is it exactly what this space needs nonetheless? Yes.

Today, I thought I would share the thought process I have when I'm picking a piece for our house. As we have slowly turned our house into a home, I have come across many situations that have stretched my design eye, my pocketbook, and my creative side. I want to talk about how I balance all of those things and how I prioritize to create a space that works for our family. Let's use the ottoman as an example.

First: Clearly identify the issue and the goal(s) you have.
Within our living room space, I originally had an old metal and wood trunk (please excuse the Christmas photo...it is the only one I could find with the trunk in it!). While it served the purpose that I wanted it to (i.e. a rustic and pretty coffee table with storage) it also was a hazard to our little boy who is becoming more and more mobile. Those metal corners are not child friendly. So, I decided it was time for a change and that I should be on the look for something to replace it. After much thought, I concluded that something with storage, coffee table capabilities, and child friendly aspects, would be the piece for us.

Second: Peruse Pinterest/ magazines for, talk with friends about, or just sit down and brainstorm possible ideas.
Think about your goal and evaluate various options based on your goal. Keep in mind, you may not be able to find the perfect piece. You may have to sacrifice one less important aspect for another. For us, the child friendly side of things was our number one goal. After reading a few blogs and thinking about what would work best for us, I concluded that some kind of padded storage ottoman would be nice. I liked the idea that it was padded (good for a toddling baby), it had a compartment for hidden storage (which would be great for not-baby-friendly things), and it also could be used as a coffee table (just throw a decorative tray on top and a drink-worthy space would be created). I wasn't sure exactly how it would look, but I left that part unanswered and started my search.

Third: After you have decided on a piece that will work for you, look, look, look and keep an open mind! 
This is my favorite part. While it may be a bit time consuming, it is fun to finally find what you are looking for! Be patient, trust me, you will find it! While keeping your goals in mind, it's also important to think about size and material of your desired object. For instance, we couldn't have anything that was too big to fit in front of our couches and we had to make sure it was the proper height too. I also wanted something well made that could endure the beating of children and dogs.

Around the time that I started looking, my parents redid their bedroom and decided that they didn't have room for the bench that was previously at the end of their bed. My mom offered it to us and I couldn't refuse! It had storage (both open and hidden storage), it could work for a coffee table (if I put a tray on top), and it was a good size and seemed to be well made. Plus, it was free. Thanks mom and dad!

Let's recap. Looking to fulfill a specific need in your space? First, identify that need and clearly articulate the goals that you have for your future piece. Second, search high and low for inspiration. I love using Pinterest, magazines, blogs, and friends for this part. Nothing beats having a lot of options. Finally, after you have decided what you would like, search high and low for the piece. Keep your goals in mind and remember to be creative and flexible! You never know what might work for your space. 

What are some of your favorite creative solutions? I love seeing what people come up with to fulfill a need within their space. 

Current House Pictures

Today's post is chock-full of pictures. Some of you have asked  for updated house pictures, so here ya go. I put in the old before shots as a reminder to myself of how far we have come. With all that we still want to do, weighing heavily on our shoulders, it's good to have a dose of reality every once in awhile. The reality is, we have come so far in making this house a home and I can't wait to see what else is to come!

Let's start as you enter our house.

As you come through the door at the top of the stairs, you walk into our kitchen/laundry room.  I still am not to keen on the idea of having a washer and dryer in our kitchen. But let me tell you, one HUGE positive is they have extended our counter and prep space--something I never thought about before we purchased them.

From our kitchen, you walk into our dining room.

And off of our dining room, is our living room, bathroom, porch, and Daniel's room. Our dining room is truly the heart of our home. Let's visit the bathroom first, shall we? :)

And then we have Daniel's room, one of my favorite rooms in the house. 

And the porch/guest room is definitely a special place as well. I love all of the light that comes in through the windows in this room. It is especially enjoyable during the spring and fall. I have plans this summer to peel the wallpaper border down and possibly give this space a good wash of white paint. It is the only space left in our house that hasn't really been touched. 

Our living room is the final room off of the dining room. It was such a dark cave before, but now has become a light-drenched, cheery space. I love it.

And finally, if you head up the stairs off of the living room, you will get to our bedroom. What was once two bedrooms, is now a nice and open master bedroom.

And that concludes the tour of our house! Maybe in the future I will update you with pictures of the outside of our house...that is after we tackle the yard this spring and summer. We are excited to move out there and do a bunch of clearing. There is so much overgrowth and brush that needs to be cleared. 

But that is a story for another day. Happy Thursday everyone!