Big news!

No we're not pregnant. If we were, I'd be checking Daniel in to the hospital after he hit his head and not writing this blog post. But it is a big gas deal (get the Kmart reference?). We bought a house!

We've been trying to sell our house on and off for two years. Not long ago we decided to look around to see if there was anything on the market and if so, we'd lower our price significantly. We found a few things but nothing we just had to have right now. So we kept mulling over the idea of renting our current house, as suggested by many people, and buying a new one while the interest rates were still low-ish. That's where Mike comes in...

Meet Mike Adkins, realtor extraordinaire. He's with Home Advantage Realty and really knows his stuff.

After looking at several many houses with us, Mike learned what we really wanted. There were quite a few things important to us:

1. Had to be in one of two school zones (because they were rated high). Schools were one of the top concerns for us since we have only 4 years before Charlie starts, which I know will fly by.
2. Needed to be at least 1500 sq. feet but preferably over 1800
3. Had to have a 2nd bathroom, even if it is the size of a closet
4. Met our budget (duh!)
5. Needed to be in an area where people cared about their homes. Meaning, we didn't want to move to a neighborhood or street where we'd fix up our house but everyone else was neglecting theirs
6. Preferably in an area where we could safely walk (we miss that about the house we rented when we first got married)

The rest we were open to since we were OK (and I preferred) a fixer-upper. However I did want it to have good bones. I'm not interested in gutting a house...nor can we afford it. Daniel would have preferred a "move-in ready" house but realized a fixer-upper was more in our budget and realistic for the areas of town we were considering.

Back to the point, last Tuesday Mike called us to let us know of a house that went on the market that morning. He previewed it and recommended we look at ASAP. We actually went back and looked at it twice last week before making an offer. It met all our criteria and came in under budget!

So over the weekend an offer was accepted, we rented our house (more on that later) and found a place to stay for 6-8 weeks while the new house is renovated. I feel comfortable posting these pictures since I'm not publicizing the address or any details that can give away the house since technically it isn't ours yet. So without further ado, below are a few "before" pics for you to peruse (can't see the front, yeah, stay tuned on that):

Den - isn't the paneling gorgeous? ha! This will be the "man room" and office.

 

Dining Room - so excited to have a dining room finally!

Kitchen - lots of work to be done here but I'll be back with a list of items we want to do once the work gets started.

 

Living Room - excited we still have a big window here

 

Bedroom 1 & 2 (it's the same in both rooms...for now)

 

Master Bedroom - this actually also has his/her closets but I didn't take pictures of that part of the room. Might go back and do that later for posterity sake.

Master bathroom - this is in the master bathroom and is literally the size of a small closet. In the bigger scheme we have plans to turn this in to a nice walk in closet and add a bathroom off the back of the house (from the left window in the picture above). But for now...we'll just do some basic cosmetic changes that won't break the bank and a few repairs.

 

Guest/Kids Bathroom - I was convinced I couldn't take the mint green but too many people have told me I could make it work until we're ready to remodel it.

 

Backyard - perfect for a new shed and a fun swing set for the kids!

This is by no means all our before pictures but it at least gives you an idea of the type of house and a general layout. I love it because it needs some love but still has a lot of character. I've already decorated it 10x in my head at night.

We've also been busy working with the loan group at Wells Fargo (they have a great home renovation loan!) to get that squared away. Plus our contractor/realtor (Mike) has been busy getting the quotes for all the work we want to do before we move in. I'm still saving a lot to do ourselves but there are some major things like the roof, shower pan, kitchen, floors, etc. that we need to do before moving our busy family in. Less stress and hassle that way. And let's face it, it made Daniel feel less overwhelmed to have some big things tackled before we get there.

So now that the inspections are done, I feel that much more excited! OK not so excited about being without a home for close to two months but excited about moving in and having all kinds of work to do to make it truly ours!

Special thanks to our friends and family for volunteering to help us when we become homeless and who have already helped us along the way!

I did it!

I dedicate this blog post to Melissa Moreno...who pushed me for at least a few months via phone (she's in CT) to do this before it got hot and work got busy.

Ever have those projects that you don't want to tackle? I'm not talking about a little "I don't feel like it" I'm talking about the full on dread you feel whenever it crosses your mind. That's how I felt about tackling our attic.

In the fall we had a yard sale and we pulled all the old stuff out of the attic but tossed the "keep" stuff all around up there. I mean it was so bad you could barely pull the stairs down without something falling on your head. Deep down I knew there was plenty of storage space but it was just covered up by unorganized stuff. For a small house like ours, we need all the storage space we can get.

So for days...weeks...months I thought about cleaning it out. I'm pretty sure this started around January 1. Every week I found another excuse not to go up there. Finally, even Melissa gave up trying to get me to do it. (we're secret, long lost sisters who love to organize and label things, not to mention we're both recruiters)

But last week I tackled my fear.

This is what I started with. As you can see it's all a jumbled mess.

 

 

And this is me half way through...It's hard to appreciate it based on this picture but I am literally dripping sweat. My face is not normally that rosy and my hair is not normally that plastered to my head. 

 

 

But in the end it was very worth it. Now we have a section for housewares/clothing/misc...

 

A spot for holiday decorations that are non-Christmas (which is stored under the house)...

 

There is also a section for all the baby stuff (clothes, bassinet, etc.) but apparently I forgot to capture it in a photo.  We're still not convinced we're done adding to our family so we don't want to let it go too quickly.

 

I have to say, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. In grand total it took me an hour. And all the stuff I thought I would sell on ebay or craigslist...donated. Who was I kidding? I didn't have time to put that much effort in to getting a few bucks for it so I took it to Goodwill instead.

 

Anyone else have those projects they just work up in their mind are going to be dreadful but end up not being that bad? What's on your dreaded to-do list? 

 

Mommy Style (part 1: Body Image)

I've had this idea about a blog post for months now and have even been keeping notes from magazines or ideas I get when talking to girlfriends. I'm finally making time to sit down and write it. Why did it take me so long? Not because it's profound but because I... 1) have two busy toddlers, 2) work a full time job, 3) help plan a charity half marathon race in April, 4) have a house to maintain (with laundry, cleaning, groceries, cooking, etc.) and 5) let's not forget I have a cute hubby and we need a date from time to time! In essence, I'm just like every other busy mom.

But that's what led me to think about this series. We are all busy but that doesn't mean as moms we should give up our style. And might I preface this by saying that t-shirts and sweat pants ARE NOT A STYLE. At least not a good one. So the next few posts are going to focus on the realizations I've had as a work-from-home mom and style. Think body image struggles, the "why bother" attitude, dressing for your body type, and some basic style tips.

Let's begin with what threw me for a total loop. Having kids. More specifically by how much my body changed. Yes, you get told it will change. Yes, you logically know that it will change. But you secretly keep hoping you'll be like Beyoncé or Gwyneth Paltrow and bounce right back by the time maternity leave is up (or within a few months). News flash: that didn't happen. The first time around (with Charlie)...I know why. I was already pregnant again. Ok. Giving myself some grace there. Second time around - what happened!?

pregnant with Charlie

 

Pregnant with Cole

For me, I had our boys back to back - as in 10.5 months apart - surprise! I will spare you the gory details so as not to cause you nightmares but that second pregnancy was a doozy. Suddenly I had the legs (hello spider veins!) and metabolism of a 90 year old, stretched skin and let's not forget I hadn't seen the inside of a gym in 2 years. I wouldn't change having my two boys for anything in the world and I love them dearly but it more than took it's physical toll on my body.

So let's talk about post-baby bodies, shall we? For the first six months after Cole, I was just trying to survive. I was "trying" to lose the baby weight but not 100% because I just couldn't manage it mentally. After all, it does take mental stamina to stick to a new routine and I went back to work at 8 weeks post-partum. I was exercising but not strictly watching my diet, and it was all I could do to make it all work. Finally, in March of last year (Cole was 6 months and Charlie was 17 months), I hit a low point. I didn't fit in to any of the clothes I tried on in my closet and no longer fit in to clothes off the rack at all my favorite stores. (I was shopping for something to wear for a wedding).  I was still close to a size 16. For me, who loves clothes and shopping and fashion, that was devastating. I remember crying walking around trying to find something that fit my now changed body.

The next Monday I went on a low/no carb diet for 4 weeks and it was enough to kick start my metabolism and I shed 10 lbs and a dress size...but my body was still askew. My once problem area (stomach) was now even more of a problem area. The cute shirts I used to wear were too tight in the stomach now. The cute pants, skirts and dresses no longer looked as cute. It's almost as if all of the extra weight went straight to my stomach and stayed there. The hardest part of this journey has been not just how my body has changed physically but how I saw myself.

Mentally I felt horrible about myself and I got to where I OBSESSED about my weight. When I say I obsessed. I mean I obsessed. I weighed every morning and the happiness of my day depended on what the scale said. If I lost, it was a good day. If I gained, it was a bad day (mentally). I never felt pretty anymore. I always felt overweight and unattractive. I kept going to the gym but 3 days a week was all I could manage. I was too tired to stick to any serious "diet" but I didn't over do it either. It got to the point where Daniel would say "honey, I'm really worried about you. You've got to stop obsessing over your weight." It was all I could talk about. I brushed compliments off because I thought they were just being nice but weren't true. I no longer wanted to be very social or go out or shop. (cue the record scratch) What? Me not want to go shopping? Yep.

It has taken me almost a year to work through the obsession and unhealthy outlook. Deep down I knew it wasn't healthy but I didn't know how to stop it. It wasn't  until I had dinner with a friend and she said out loud: "This is spiritual warfare". I knew it but I needed someone to say it out loud. Sounds crazy but it was and still is spiritual warfare.

If Satan could define my day by what the scale said, then I stayed in a constant state of negativity. I lost confidence in myself. I no longer approached life in the same way. It was even affecting my relationships, especially with my husband. It had to stop.

I made a promise that I would have a life verse to remember and refer back to whenever I struggled: 1 Peter 3: 3-4

         ^"3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. ⁴ Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight."
I now have a much better outlook on my body. It is likely never going to go back to pre-baby status. After all, my belly was stretched out for almost 2 years! But through lots of hard work at the gym and a lot of prayer, I no longer see a lumpy, ugly body. I see a realistic woman's body who birthed two beautiful, rambunctious little boys.

So if you too are struggling with your body image, regardless of what caused it, remember that we aren't supposed to look like the models or celebrities who eat, sleep and live to be a certain figure and get airbrushed. Our beauty truly comes from our heart and who we are in Christ. It took me a long time to figure that out again.

Now I'm back to loving shopping (sorry, honey!) and having a chance to dress up or go out. I don't even weigh very often anymore, but measure my weight by the clothes I wear (a comfortable size 12 by the way). My sassafras is even back. More importantly, I like the strong, more-fit me, post-baby belly and all. 

Hippty Hop!

Hippty Hop Easter's on it's way! I love a reason for decorating and Easter is no exception. I don't have much since a lot of the decorations are too cute-sy for me but I do try to put a little something out.

Since our plans were delayed this weekend (see this post), I decided that I would go ahead and decorate for Easter. It is super early this year so it will be here before you know it.

It all started with a need to remove a bloom-less set of bulbs on our sofa table that our sweet friends, The Adkins, brought us a while back. I'll plant them in the backyard soon but I needed something to go in the empty pot. My mom suggested I find a fake plant that looks real (they do make them) but I didn't find one on my shopping trip to Hobby Lobby.

As I'm walking around the store, I realize that they had some cute branches on sale. I have some at home but just a few. I snatched up 2 sets - one set of straight and one set of curly - to give visual interest. I already had some floral foam at home from this project and I already had Easter eggs. And viola!

Oh, I already had the little nest of eggs too. I bought it a long time ago with plans of doing something cute for spring but never got around to it. Subconsciously I must have had this in mind. And I've always wanted an Easter tree.

Literally, so easy to do...

1. put floral foam in the bottom of any container so it's snug (and not all the way to the top, I just used 2 bricks for this large container)
2. shove the sticks in so they are clustered towards the back but spread out enough to span the container
3. stick a simple plant in the front and put a little moss around it to cover the pot if necessary
4. nestle the nest of eggs in the branches
5. hang Easter eggs

Most of the items I already had on hand but if you were to buy the materials, it may run you $30-40 depending on how expensive your pot is. And all can be found at Hobby Lobby if you do want to replicate. At Christmas, I've painted these red, gold or silver and added them to a plant to decorate a pot without "over decorating".

My favorite part is I can take the eggs down and it can stay up for spring. There were some cute little birds at Hobby Lobby and I could nestle one in the branches for spring. While it's tall, it also doesn't visually take up space so it seems light and airy on the table, not the first thing you notice.

Once my masterpiece was created, I was off to the rest of the house...

(that's a picture of my parents, Nana and Pop-E. We have to keep them close because the kids like to carry their picture around since we can't see them often.)

And perhaps my next favorite Easter decorations oddly enough are in the bathroom...

I think maybe because I like the little wreath I have hanging above the sink. And I added a new plant from our shopping trip so it seems cozy by the one and only bathroom sink.

And finally the kitchen table...

We actually have the candles and greenery out most of the time during the winter months because they are practical. (we have no light on that side of the room so the candles help us see our food!) I just added the bunnies and some eggs to make it more festive.

So what about you? Do you decorate for Easter? Any cute ideas? I found a few on Pinterest but decided I didn't want to buy candy to decorate with and used more of what I already had instead.

P.S. sorry for the bad pictures. We've apparently lost our camera somewhere in the house...maybe it's a sign we need to save for a really nice camera instead of a point-and-click version.

Cabin Fever

This weekend was a little unplanned...well it was planned but yet again sickness changed those plans. So when sickness has the kids down and you have crazy sick children a little cabin fever, what else better to do than decorate! What? That's not what you do?

 

Since our Saturday night plans with friends coming for dinner had to be delayed (boo hiss) due to massive head colds (double boo hiss) the kids came down with Friday night (and our friends have a 3.5 mo old that does not need it) we decided to take our time over the weekend doing our chores and errands. After cleaning the house on Saturday I decided this was a perfect opportunity to decorate for Easter. Plus, I really felt the urge to change up some of our table tops that were starting to bug me.

 

I took Cole (who seemingly has it the least) to my favorite little craft store, Hobby Lobby. Boy did we I have fun! Cole had fun too once he got to hold a little bunny he found on a shelf. After scouting the Easter section and getting a few things for the boy's Easter basket, I found this cute little basket in their spring section. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it but I loved the shape. Look how cute it turned out holding magazines behind the couch...

 

Originally all my "need to read" magazines were just stacked on the faux table but it didn't look as polished. I love the worn finish on it and it was only $14 since all the spring items were 30% off. I can also see this basket holding toilet paper in a bathroom, used as a trash can in an office or storing toys in a kids room (painted if you didn't like the finish). Sort've wish I had bought the larger one too...hmmm.

Then I found a cute picture frame that works well by itself. Sometimes frames need some substance behind them to be able to stand alone. Disregard the random child in the picture...I'm working on replacing him with my own children. And once again, thanks Hobby Lobby for great sales (this was 50% off).

I love how it works in the center of the table now. And don't mind the Easter decorations at the other end of the table...more on that soon.

 

On Sunday we took a little trip to Lowes because we needed touch-up paint but also because I needed some new house plants. Some of mine have gotten too big or died. And while I had high hopes of putting a cute Easter decoration on the coffee table, the kids throwing my Easter eggs around like they were bouncy balls quickly changed my mind. I decided the fight wasn't worth it. So instead I opted for some greenery found at Lowes. Simple yet effective. Plus I already had the container.

 

 

 

Of course then I start walking around the house wondering what else I didn't like and could shift around fairly easily. I realized that our poor dresser top in our bed room needed much help. I usually walk by it intentionally looking the other way so I don't notice it. I ideally would like to paint this...even bought paint in an orangy-red color but I'm not 100% sure it would stay in our bedroom if when we move so I don't want to commit to the color choice yet.

This is just a small spot but basically the whole top of it has peeled away thanks to cheap furniture and water. So instead I took a basic table runner I had stored away that coordinated with our bedroom colors and viola! No more ghetto furniture.

 

 

I'll have to share more about the Easter decorations in a separate post. I had hopes of putting it all in one but alas, I'm too long winded and I really want to describe the one item I made since it's super easy and inexpensive.

 

Hope we are all well for a while...I'll run out of money if we aren't!  #cabinfevershopping

Oh ye of little faith...

I'd like to say I have a very strong faith. Difficult experiences have only strengthened it through the years (AKA my 20's) but I find myself from time to time, sometimes more frequently than I care to admit, that it wanes. I was struck by how much so just last week.

As many of you know, our house has been plagued with...well the plague. Or at least it feels that way. Someone(s) in our house has had a cold, bronchitis, sinus infection, fever virus, ear infections and/or stomach virus since just after Thanksgiving. I'm not joking. I can literally count on our hands how many healthy days we've had in the last two months. Just when I thought we were getting on a role - and by that I mean day 5 of health - Cole comes down with a fever. Turns out it was a random "fever virus". I hate when the doctor says "it's just a virus" because that means we can't do anything but let it run it's course. This happened literally the Monday before my parents were supposed to come on Thursday.

I think what bothered me most is that when the kids saw my parents at Christmas, we were all sick (stomach virus) and while we made the most of the trip, it wasn't as fun as a healthy house, especially since 12 out of 16 got it. Plus, they don't get to see them very often, maybe ever few months for a few days. So for us to get this "fever virus" just before their visit really upset me. 

This was about the time I started to cry...pout...stomp my feet...and otherwise have a very mature temper tantrum. You see I had been praying all weekend and even on Monday when he came home with the fever, "Lord, please just let it be his ears again" knowing that those could be treated with an antibiotic and he'd be feeling fine by Thursday...and ear infections aren't contagious. But it wasn't and by Wednesday his fever was over 104 and I was giving Tylenol and Ibuprofen alternating every three hours plus a tepid bath. Not to mention I was just waiting for Charlie to get it.

That's when it hit me. I can't control this situation. It is what it is and I need to be PRAISING God because it could always be worse.  As my friend Lila Anna says "I had to let go and let God". As I processed through this, I posted on Facebook:

 

 Well we had a few days of wellness before yet another random virus has struck our house again. I can count on 2 hands the number of days we've been well since Thanksgiving. Let's hope the fever virus is contained to only one child and it wraps up fast before my parents arrive on Thursday! But despite all this and my poor attitude today, I'm thankful God blesses us in food, a warm house, insurance and money to go to the doctor, ability to work from home and care for my sick ones and so much more. I choose to be positive about my circumstances...starting now.

 

You see, I was fretting over Cole, worried that Charlie was going to get it, and all because I desperately wanted everyone to be happy and healthy for my parent's visit. But there was nothing I could do. So I CHOSE to look accept what God had given me but honestly, I didn't like it, but it at least gave me a better attitude.

 

It wasn't until later that weekend that I realized that God gives us so much grace. I'm even willing to bet that we don't even recognize it many times. Cole's fever broke on Thursday so by Friday morning, he was his full pint size spunky self again. Charlie never got it either. Here I was fretting over not getting the perfect visit and all along God had it planned. I've since apologized to God for my lack of faith and thanked Him for healing Cole and giving my family a great visit. I was also reminded of our family's life verse, Proverbs 3: 5-6:

 

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

 

The entire week reminded me that it's a choice to be joyous, even in tough circumstances, and that God's grace is far greater than I could ever imagine. I'm just blessed to be one of his daughters and that should be enough.

 

If you don't know Jesus in a personal way, meaning more than just "believing God exists", your missing out on so much love and grace.

 

 

 

Mama Mia!

I'm excited to finally have something to post! I was so busy during the holidays (and our house had the plague) that I didn't have time to post anything. Now that I've got more time, I don't have anything to post about...until now.

We had friends over for dinner Saturday night and whenever I cook for a dinner party, big or small, I like to do something fun and different. Sometimes I'll go with the basics - chili, lasagna, roasted chicken breasts, etc - but usually I like to have a more unique dish that someone wouldn't have regularly. I picked a few people's brains but I still couldn't decide (thanks Jaime and mom!). Finally I chose shrimp burgers since it was supposed to be so nice outside. But low and behold, when I went to make another new dish on Friday night, I realized that the new dish took 4 hrs to make. Well it being 3:30p already, that wasn't going to work. So I decided to defer the dish to Saturday night and scrap the shrimp burgers.

Here is the recipe for the most delicious pasta that is truly restaurant quality - Classic Ragu Bolognese. The recipe card is from Bon Appetit so I must have saved it from my Cook's magazine. Other than the cooking time (most of it is simmer time, not actual you cooking), it's super easy to make. I made a few tweaks to the recipe and everyone LOVED it. And I took their opinions seriously since one of them was Italian.

This recipe is great because the sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead but be aware it takes 3.5-4hrs to make (simmer time).

Classic Ragu Bolognese

makes 4-6 servings; cook/prep time 3.5 hrs

 

Ingredients
2 Tbs EVOO
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz ground beef (85% lean)
6 oz ground veal*
3 oz thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped**
1/2 cup dry red wine
3 cups beef or chicken stock
3 Tbs tomato paste (small can)
1 cup whole milk
1 lb fettuccine noodles
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
Heat oil in large pot/pan over medium heat. Add onions, celery and carrots. Saute until soft (8-10 min). Add meats and garlic. Sautee until browned, being sure to break up the meat into small pieces. Add wine; boil 1 minute, stirring often and scraping up browned bits (deglazing the pan). Add 2 1/2 cups stock and the tomato paste; stir to blend. Reduce heat to very low and gently simmer, stirring occassionally for 1.5 hours.

Bring milk to simmer in sauce pan then gradually add to sauce. Cover with lid slightly ajar and simmer over low heat, stirring occassionally, for 45min-1hr. You can add more stock if you need the sauce thinner. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Boil noodles according to package instructions. Add the noodles to the sauce and toss until well coated. You can add pasta water to thin the sauce if necessary. Serve in pasta bowls and garnish with a lemon slice. I found that a little lemon juice over top of the pasta helped cut down on the richness.

*can substitute ground beef for veal
**can subsitute proscuitto, bacon or salted ham. I used ham seasoning (1 pack/cube of ham bouillon) since one of my guests didn't eat pork

 

Bon Appetit!