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Uncategorized
07.07.14

Our 4th

Sharing a few pics of our 4th!  We spent the weekend in SLC at my sister’s house with family.  So much fun.  My crew and I drove back to San Diego today and I’ve been awake for about 17 hours at this point so this post will be short on words.  I don’t know how coherent I am at the moment and I don’t want to re-read this post in the morning and ask myself yet again why I always write my posts late at night when I’m in such a deliriously tired state.  (That NEVER happens btw.)  
:)
 Cousin bonding.

Lots of time at the pool.
My sister’s darling neighbor has an original 1930’s Ford.
He gave the kids all rides around the neighborhood.
 And some of the adults too.  :)

 Aunt Carly also gave everyone Vespa rides.  A tradition when we visit.

 Time for the parade!

 These three were glued at the hip and all bawled when we had to separate them.  

Nothing like the Bagpipes.  Always my favorite.
Love my sisters.  And that boy draped across my lap?  He’s ok too.  :)

Daddy daughter bonding time.
 Quick stop to feed the bunnies.

Saturday we went to a Family Reunion.  Loved seeing all of my crazy family.  It was so HOT.   This is the only picture I have of the day.  I didn’t get any pics of all of the fun commotion, the hugging, the laughing, the bonding… the sweating.  Good thing I love everyone so much.  It was worth leaving my stable 70 degree weather to see them all.  ;)

Another great Independence Day!  
xoxo, Erin
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Organization
07.03.14

Six Tips for a Smoother Summer

Quick thanks for your sweet comments about my mom’s laundry room makeover!  So fun to hear from so many of you on various forms of social media.  I’m thrilled you all liked the before and afters!  That was such a fun project.  Ok.  Moving on.  :)  Summer is in full swing!  How are we all doing?  Thriving or surviving?  I usually start out thriving and by August I’m in total survival mode.  I am finding that as my kids get older I’m enjoying each summer more and more.  It’s such a treat to escape their busy school schedules and have more quality time together.  I also think I enjoy our summers more each year because I’ve developed a few summer routines that keep things running a little smoother while we all spend SO much time together.  Here are six things I do each year that help me keep my sanity during the summer.  :)  

 1} MAKE LISTS

It’s no surprise that I love nothing more than a good list!  Lists have become such a part of my daily life that I’d be completely lost with them.  Summer is no exception!  At the beginning of each summer the girls and I brainstorm all of the fun things we want to do with our time together.  Above is our list from 2011.

And here is our current summer to-do list.  A lot of the things are the same and things we will do regardless, but one thing I love about these lists is that they can act as a sort of “I’m bored” stopper.  My kids are usually pretty good to entertain themselves but if they do happen to be wandering around wondering what to do, they can always check our list to get a few fun ideas.

Other lists that are always popping up around our house are the kids’ chore lists.  The above list was one I made for the girls when they were younger and below is a current weekend list.  

My girls are able to help so much more now!  In the summer when we’re home I let my kids sleep in and relax for a bit in the morning and then it’s time for chores.  Chores have to be done before any fun activity can start (there’s always something they want to do that’s great motivation for finishing fast!).  I’ve been working on a daily chore list for this summer and will share it when it’s finished, but lately I’ve just been writing the kids’ daily to-do’s on a piece of paper each morning and my girls check them off when they’re done.  Nothing fancy!  But it’s effective.

Another list that I put up every summer is our “get out the door list.”  I created this list above years ago when my youngest was a baby.  We were going to the beach and pool almost every day and it was so much work getting three little ones out the door that I felt like I needed a checklist to keep my sanity!  It was so helpful that I create a new updated list each summer.  SO nice to be reminded to grab things I might normally forget like sunglasses, water, or goggles as I’m walking out the door.   Lists make it so my brain can be on auto pilot.  :)
2} CREATE A BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 

We all know that when siblings start spending too much time together things can get a little crazy.  When my girls were younger I created these “Star Charts” to help encourage them to get along, keep their rooms clean, etc.

I cut the stars out of an old bulletin board border I had from my teaching days and just put Velcro on everything so we could change out the goals and rewards.  My girls LOVED these!  They were seriously so effective.  The act of putting a star on for each thing they accomplished at the end of each day was like gold to them.  

We used them on and off for years (especially in the summer time!).  The picture above was a couple of years later with a different set of goals.  (One tip *let the kids’ help you come up with the goals and rewards – they love to have ownership in stuff like this and come up with some pretty fun things you might not have thought of yourself.)  :)

Our rewards were always fun family/friend activities.  Instead of a toy or money, I wanted to teach them that spending time together doing something fun was the best reward.

Obviously you don’t have to create something like my star charts to have the same effect.  Simple stickers on a piece of paper would work.  Little kids especially thrive with this sort of thing.  I’m working on something similar for my 4 year old little buddy this summer.  :)

3} HAVE HEALTHY SNACKS READY

One of the hardest things for me about summer is the constant snacking!  Some days I feel like all I do is prepare snacks and meals.  And you all know how I feel about this sort of thing.  :)  When I shared how I’m organizing my new fridge I talked about having healthy snacks cut up and ready to each as much as possible.  I’ve found this helps tremendously with the summer snacking.  
Often I’ll prepare something like this in the mid morning and when the kids want a snack I’ll tell them to head to the fruit/veggie tray!  If they eat most of it they can get crackers or something else, but at least I know they are getting some nutrition AND I’m not preparing snacks 348 times a day. Or something close to that.  :)

4} ORGANIZE YOUR ART/CRAFT SUPPLIES

We all know I’m all about organizing everything.  :)  But if there is one thing that has to be organized for summer it’s our arts and craft supplies.  Summer is a great time for your kids to be creative and find their inner Picasso!  But if supplies aren’t organized and become a constant daily mess it’s no fun for anyone.

These pics are of how I organized my mom’s art supplies in her recent laundry room makeover.  So simple.  When the kids are done creating, they can just put everything back in its bin in the cupboard.

In our previous house I used a kitchen cabinet to create an organized craft cupboard.  LOVED this so much.  So did my kids.  They knew where everything was and could pull it all out and make a mess on the table and then put everything back quickly and easily in its place.  (You can check the full post on this cupboard here.)

For this summer I created an organized art caddy to corral the kids’ go to craft supplies.  Crayons are in their own container.  I also have a craft cupboard in the works in my new office.  Coming soon to a blog near you.  :)

5}  HAVE A FEW ACTIVITIES READY

While we love to go where the wind takes us in the summer and have less of a schedule, I still like to have a few activities ready for those afternoons when kids aren’t getting along as well or they need some quite time or a break from friends.  There are so many places you can go on-line to find fun activities or art projects.  I’ve collected quite a few on some of my Pinterest Boards if you are looking for this sort of thing.  

One activity I love to do each summer is record my kids’ school information from the previous school year.  These are a few pages from my girls’ albums they completed years ago.  I haven’t taken pictures of more recent pages yet.  

 These pages are from school kits I’ve had for years but you obviously don’t need them to do this same activity with your kids.  Just pull out blank paper and have them write all about the previous school year.  Who their friends were, what subjects they loved, what was a moment they’ll never forget, etc.  I LOVE these pages.  Such treasures.  I really enjoy seeing how their handwriting and interests change each year.  And so do the kids!

 While my kids write their own pages I can get caught up on adding a few other things from the year to their albums.

I got REALLY behind on our albums while we were building our house so I’m going to prioritize these school pages for sure this summer.  (For more info. about my kids’ albums you can check here.)

This is one last summer activity I’ve shared before that I have to mention again for anyone who missed it.  Give your kids buckets full of water and a few paint brushes.  Let them “paint” a wall or space in your yard.  Such a simple activity that has kept my kids entertained each summer for years!  I keep thinking they’ll grow out of it but they don’t.  Very happy about that.  :)

6} BE PREPARED FOR TRAVEL

Summer is full of trips!  And I’ve traveled enough with little ones to know that the key to a successful family trip {and I call a trip with kids a trip – not a vacation :) } is all about preparation.  If you spend some time preparing a few activities to keep them busy on the road or in the plane you will make life MUCH easier for yourself.

 I shared a few tips on traveling with kids in this post here.  

So that’s it!  Six things that have become summer habits for me that help our family of five enjoy a much smoother summer.  These six things make me feel like I’m thriving instead of just surviving.

And who doesn’t want that?  

:)
*Would love to hear any tips you have that help you to thrive during the summer!

xoxo, Erin
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Organization
07.01.14

Organized laundry room

This just might be my longest post to date!  SO many pictures to share of my mom’s laundry room makeover!  What a project.  Ready for this?  Grab a snack.  :)

My mom’s laundry room has built-in cabinets along both walls so this room also acts as a storage room for miscellaneous items.  Over time it has become a catch all and my mom felt so overwhelmed by the mess it was becoming that she just continually put off organizing it.  I decided it had been put off long enough!  This was what was staring at me when I arrived at the scene on one side of the room.

Here is what her laundry room looks like now!  But the best part is the inside of the cabinets…
Upper cabinets.
Lower cabinets.  (Some are even empty!)
Ahhhh.  Much better.
Let’s break down the three upper cabinets.
Because I’m all about the details.  :)

The left side of the room is my parents coffee station.  My mom has a thing for coffee mugs and can’t resist buying one when she finds one she loves.  I made her get rid of half of them!  New rule is that if she buys one more she has to get rid of an old one.  I adjusted the shelves so that there was more space on the top for larger travel mugs.  A much better sight to wake up to each morning!

This next cabinet is for CD and other miscellaneous storage.
My mom has empty cupboard space now!  Such a good feeling.
The cabinet closest to the washer/dryer is for laundry supplies.
Time for a peek of what’s happening inside the lower cabinets.
{BEFORE}

The far left cabinet holds art supplies for the grandkids.  It had seen better days.

{AFTER}
I used simple blue baskets from the dollar store to corral all of the markers, crayons and pencils.  The two white bins my mom already had I used for art paper and art supplies.  The nice thing with this set up is that the kids can just take the baskets they want to use right to the table.

A few toy snakes were thrown in for good measure since this is where the boys like to keep them.  :)

The middle bottom cabinet is completely empty and the last is for my mom’s Tide storage.  Clearly she likes to stock up on things when they are on sale.   :)

These are the cabinets on the other side of her laundry room.   They look lovely!  Until you see what was lurking behind them.  These cabinets were seriously so bad!  I felt a nervous twitch coming on every time I opened them.

{BEFORE}
{AFTER}
Can you believe that’s the same cupboard!?  My mom has a lot of party supplies because she is always entertaining so I decided to set aside one cabinet for paper plates, utensils, cups, etc. 
 I love storing things in colorful buckets.  Just makes everything look happy.  :)
Now when people drop by she’s ready!
The top section of this cabinet holds bigger miscellaneous items my parents wanted stored in the laundry room.
{BEFORE}
The next cupboard over also started out a little on the scary side!
{AFTER}
And now?  Nice and clean.  This cupboard is going to hold my mom’s wrapping supplies but since I made her get rid of everything she wasn’t using or loving, there isn’t much here right now.  I’m ruthless when it comes to the purging part of organizing!
I labeled a few containers and the rest I’ll label as she fills them up.

Top cupboard holds light bulbs.   Now it will be much easier for my parents to see what they already have.

Here comes the last cupboard!  I’m getting that nervous twitch again…

  {BEFORE} 
{AFTER}
I decided this cabinet would be mostly used for cleaning supplies.
My mom had multiples of several cleaners so I lined each of them up.  Now she can take the one in front and see how many she has left before she buys more.  I told her she is absolutely not allowed to buy more until she is down to one left.  My dad and I always tease her that her cupboards look like a trip down the cleaning isle at Target.  I don’t think she’s running out of anything any time soon!
Inexpensive buckets from the dollar store work great to hold various items and add a fun pop of color.
It’s especially nice having the sunscreen all together and easy to find!
Pulled out this little bucket multiple times today.  :)
Martha Stewart labels make it easy to categorize supplies and dishcloths, etc.
Peek of what’s inside some of the buckets.
Lots of empty buckets to label and fill so things don’t get out of hand again.  (Fingers crossed!)
{BEFORE}
Once the cabinets were all clean and organized I had to finish the room by tackling the four drawers.  Late one night after everyone was in bed I laid a couple of towels on the living room floor and dumped everything out.  I wiped out the drawers and then started categorizing everything.  I was so enjoying organizing and watching a movie that I didn’t even realize I was up until 2:00 am!  But my parents were thrilled to wake up to this the next morning…
{AFTER}
These drawers make me so happy now!
School supplies (we are a family of educators – there is never a shortage of pencils!) and a few tools.  My dad has most of his tools in his garage but it’s always nice to have a few inside as well.

I’ve always loved having a drawer just for batteries.  Such a smart thing to have on hand!  Then my mom’s sewing drawer.  Like me, she doesn’t sew much.  Just the essentials.

These blue organizers were three for a dollar!  Love how streamlined they look.
Whew!  Are you still with me!?  Like I said – what a project!  Rooms that get out of control like this are so overwhelming.  It’s hard to know where to start.  My advice is to just start.  Don’t even think about it.  Just start taking things out of cupboards and purging and sorting.  No doubt life will get in the way, but just keep chipping away whenever you find a minute.  The feeling you’ll have once it’s done is so worth it!  My mom and dad keep wandering in and opening cupboards and drawers and just smiling.
Making this one of my most gratifying projects to date.
:)
xoxo, Erin
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Uncategorized
06.27.14

Holding down the fort

Hi friends!  Is it Friday already!?  I’m losing track of the days!  This has been a slow week on the blog because my mom and I have been holding down the fort with all 7 grand kids.  The “Magnificent 7” as we like to call them.  Too much fun.  Take a Tylenol every other hour fun, but fun none the less.  :)  Cousin time is the best.  My siblings will be around this weekend and I’m so excited to spend some time with them too.  And to have a little back up!  

The other day my mom and I went in our rooms to get dressed and laughed when we both came out in stripes!  We think alike more often than not.  I’ve been meaning to pull together a summer Fashion Friday post (per your Instagram requests!) but haven’t had time this week.  So this skirt is from Gap (I’ve lived in a lot of their fun striped skirts this summer) and that will have to count as Fashion Friday for this week.  :)  

 That same evening my parents let me sneak away for a couple of hours of peaceful shopping time.  With no children!  So rare and lovely.  I seriously found so many fun things for the house!  Can’t wait to get home and start decorating.

Here is one thing that is coming home with me.  LOVE it.   

My dad gave the girls their first archery lesson.  (My dad is an avid bow hunter and aside from running a college, owned an archery shop when I was growing up.)  
Do you love the “Old Guys Rule” shirt?  Father’s Day gift from me.  :)  My dad really does rule.  He is perfect in every way and can do no wrong in my book.  This theory of mine often drives my husband crazy.  Especially since he also adores my dad and knows it’s true.  ;)
 They were naturals!

{circa 1993}

SO took me back to my childhood.  Did I ever tell you the story of when I was at my dad’s shop practicing and lots of his archery friends were out watching.  There were big pictures of animals for targets and I pulled back and hit a rabbit dead on.  Just nailed him!  My dad’s friends cheered and said “Wow – your daughter is a natural!  Sure takes after you.”  And my dad was so proud and so was I.

No one needed to know I was actually aiming for the deer.
:)

xoxo, Erin
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Uncategorized
06.25.14

Quick catch up

Hi friends!  I had a fabulous post in store for you today.  But for reasons I just can’t explain (I got sidetracked watching Dirty Dancing for the 5,000th time) I didn’t quite get it finished.  :)

So instead I’ll give you a quick catch up of our latest happenings while we visit family in Utah…

The kids are having a ball.  Here are my three with their cousin yesterday enjoying a little early morning picnic on a towel in grandma’s front yard.  In this shot my girls are giving the boys a lesson on how to smile for a picture since the 6 previous shots weren’t going so well.  :)  By 1:00 today we had all cousins here (7 total) running around.  It’s blissful chaos at its best!  
And what have I been up to while all this chaos surrounds me?
Organizing of course.  :)  I have to warn you.  This next picture may cause physical damage.  
Like your heart could stop beating.
Mine almost did.  

This is just one side of my mom’s laundry room.  And I promised her we wouldn’t judge.  :)  Really this happens to all of us.  One room in the house becomes a catch all for any and everything and before you know it your cupboards are so full of random miscellaneous items you can barely open them.  That has been the story for this laundry room ever since my parents moved into their house 8 years ago.  My mom keeps childproof locks on all the bottom cabinets but wanted to move cleaning supplies up higher and take the locks off.  Then she wanted to purge, clean and organize the whole room.  Or should I say have me purge, clean and organize the whole room. :)  I have to admit that this “project laundry room” has been a major undertaking.  I’ve been working on it for the past two days and will finish it up tomorrow.  I’ve taken lots of pictures along the way and will share everything soon!

Unless I get distracted by Dirty Dancing again.  No one puts baby in a corner.  
Sorry.  
That line just never gets old.
:)
xoxo, Erin
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Organization
06.23.14

Organized junk drawer

Happy Monday everyone!  The kids and I are spending some time at my mom’s house (aka our summer retreat).  This is a pic my mom snapped with my phone while the kids were being entertained  by their grandparents.  Just look how relaxed we are!  I look forward to this week every summer.  :)  Bummed my husband had to head back to San Diego to work but the kids and I have a fun agenda that includes lots of time in the pool, time with grandparents, and time with our friends.  (I’ll be sharing lots of pics from our week on instagram – erin_sunnysideup of you want to follow along!)  My mom also handed over her annual summer “to organize” list with a big grin on her face.  We have a little arrangement each year.  She watches the kids for me while I organize for her.  It’s a win for both of us.  :)

Before I start sharing what I’m up to at my mom’s here are a few pics of another junk drawer I tackled in my kitchen last week.  This is my “go-to” drawer in one of my kitchen islands that I’m in and out of the most.  It holds pens, scissors, chap stick, tape measures – the little things I need on and off throughout the day.  This drawer was such a mess before I tackled it and I keep forgetting to take “before” pics.  Let’s just say this is a major improvement.  The organizers I picked up at Home Goods (4 bucks each!).  They add a fun pop of color.

I tossed a bowl in the drawer to hold loose change and that has been handy.  You can also see our doorbell that we have yet to install on our front door.  Will we ever really be done building?  :)

I keep my girls’ cameras in this drawer so they are easy to grab when they need them.  Little photographers in training.  :)  I’ve also found it’s so handy to have a set of mini screwdrivers close by for all of the kids’ battery operated toys and other miscellaneous household items.

Ahhh.  Peace is restored!  At least in the junk drawer.
:)
xoxo, Erin
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Home Decor
06.20.14

New entry table

We have a new addition to our front entry!

 

And I’m sort of in love with it.  You know I can’t resist a good trellis pattern.
I have a plan for decorating our front entry and this console is the beginning.  Phase one of the plan!  I knew I wanted a table on this side of the entry and I found several mirrored consoles I liked on-line but they were all really pricey and more than I wanted to spend.  So I kept looking and was thrilled when I found this three piece cabinet.  It had the look I was going for and was reasonably priced.  I measured our space and the size was perfect.  Then I read the reviews and most people who had ordered it loved it.  It was a winner!  It did take a while to put together (Kenny did it in three episodes of The Good Wife) but it wasn’t too complicated.  Or at least it didn’t seem to be.  (I was sort of distracted by The Good Wife. — Which just hasn’t been the same since Will was killed – such a bummer.)
I loved this piece in white (it comes in a dark finish too) but I was worried about it not standing out enough with all of the white molding in our entry.  I bought it thinking that if it was too much white I could have my painters paint it (my husband was thrilled about that option as you can imagine).

 

But I think I actually like the white.  The mirrors break things up and I’m going to add colorful lamps and accessories on top.  Excited for that!  Plus this table will be so fun to switch up for the holidays.  It will be time to decorate for Christmas before we know it!  Not that I’m counting down or anything.  (188 days)
 Wanna see something else I love about this table?

 

Extra storage!  I’m not sure what I’ll put in it yet, but I’m sure I’ll come up with something.
And then organize it.  :)

 

Our entry opens up into our formal living room and the decor plan for that room is still in the works so I’m waiting to style this table.  I want the colors to all be somewhat cohesive.  Then at some point I’d love to find a tall bench for the other side of the front door.  And maybe something fun on the sides of the table?  I have a few ideas.
So far I have lots of ideas and plans and every room is getting started but nothing is getting finished.  I keep moving on to the next room before I finish the last.
It’s decorating ADD at its finest.
:)
*affiliate link used
xoxo, Erin
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Organization
06.17.14

Organized kitchen sink drawer

Starting the summer off right with a little organizing!  :)  I finally tackled this drawer near my kitchen sink.  It sits right next to my dishwasher and had sort of become a catch all.  Wish I would have taken a pic of the “before” because it was bad!  We’ve always kept a set of toothbrushes by the kitchen sink.  I don’t know about your kids, but mine tend to get distracted easily and sending them back upstairs to brush their teeth after breakfast can often add ten minutes to our morning routine.  This silverware organizer I picked up at Home Goods was perfect to hold an extra set of toothbrushes and toothpaste for mornings that we are pressed for time.  Now when school starts again we’ll be prepared!  

I rounded up some containers I’ve had for years to hold other kitchen sink essentials.  A basket to hold my magic erasers (favorite thing to use on my quartz counters), a white trey to hold drain stoppers, and a bowl to hold my OXO dish scrubber replacement brushes.  (Talked about my OXO dish scrubber in this favorite things post – love it!)

This is how I organized the drawer next to our kitchen sink in our previous house.  Baby gear is a thing of the past.  {tear}

I labeled everyone’s toothbrush spot because I didn’t want the toothbrushes to get mixed up.  
And because let’s face it… I live to label.  :)
It felt so good to have this drawer organized that I immediately started tackling other “junk” drawers in my house.  I’m on a roll!  
Label maker is smokin’.
:)  

xoxo, Erin
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Parenting
06.16.14

Kids’ summer fun list

We made it!  SUMMER!!  So excited it’s finally here.  Each year with my kids getting older I love this season more and more.  This morning was the best.  I slept until 7:30!  That never happens around here.  No lunches had to be packed.  No backpacks stuffed full of homework and shoes for PE and library books and signed forms and book reports.  No more rushing to get here and there and everywhere else all day long.  I know that after two months I will be excited and ready for all of that again, but for now it feels wonderful to have a slower pace and time with my kids home doing whatever we want to do.  
Girls on their last day of school (Hawaiian day).  Woot woot!  

First day of summer at swimming lessons.  The only thing on our agenda all day.  I could not wipe that smile off my face!   We were so excited about this beloved season that we got right to work on our annual summer to-do list.  Ready to see it?  It’s pretty intense.

Welcome Summer.
So happy you are finally here.  
:)
xoxo, Erin
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Home Decor
06.12.14

Mudroom rug (attempt #1)

So I bought a new rug for our mudroom.  A navy nautical striped runner from Pottery Barn.  

And I love the look of it.  Plus it’s the perfect size for the spot in front of my mudroom drawers. 
And I love that the kids have a cozy spot to sit when they take off and put on their shoes.  

But.  There’s a problem.  

And it’s driving me crazy.  
It doesn’t seem to bother the kids much.  
And as you can see they are well trained.  :)  
But I’m afraid this is one time function wins and the rug needs to go back.
Bummer.  
On a happier note..
tomorrow is our last day of school!
And we are oh so ready.
:)  
xoxo, Erin
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Uncategorized
06.10.14

Ad’s baptism

Age 8 and baptized a member of our church on Saturday.  I can hardly believe it.  

These two continue to be so incredibly close.  I can’t imagine two sisters any closer.  The way they play together, laugh together, watch out for and defend each other touches me every single day.  They sang together at the baptism and my eyes filled with tears.  I think that is what heaven will be like for me.  A place where I can sit and listen to my girls sing.  And eat Baked Lays potato chips and read Better Homes and Gardens.

I remember taking this photo of my girls like it was two days ago.  
Wasn’t it?  
Time to toss our little buddy into the mix.  This was the best we got.  
I often wish our right now with these three would last forever. 
Silly face and all.  
We are such lucky parents to have this beautiful girl in our lives.  
Her smile lights up a room and she gives the best hugs.
Of anyone.  
Hands down.  
Addison is honest and kind and a hard worker.  
She always does her very best and has a deep desire to do what is right.  
She makes us laugh.  She is clever and quick witted and perceptive and spirited.
She has a talent for entertaining her sister and irritating her brother.  
She loves life and family and stylish clothes and strawberry yogurt with gummy bears on top.
And I love her more than any words in any blog post could ever express.  
(Kenny’s parents on the left and mine on the right.)
What a treat to have both of her grandparents here for her special day.  
What a treat to have Kole at least faking a smile instead of sticking out his tongue.
:)

So proud of this girl.

 Such a special day for our family.

xoxo, Erin
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Parenting
06.06.14

Kids’ weekend to-do list


Happy Friday everyone!  Last weekend I snapped a picture of our typical Saturday morning to-do list I always make my girls.  Thought I’d share it with all of you.  We love lazy Saturday mornings eating waffles in our pajamas, but once we’ve all had some down time I tend to put my kids to work!  Can’t be all fun and games around here.  :)  Friday night or Sat. morning when I write my weekend to-do’s, I take a few minutes to write a to-do list for my girls. They know that once the list is done we are free to enjoy the day.  They usually have something planned that they are excited to do (swimming, playdate, yogurt with the fam, etc.) so they work hard and fast!  I’ve found that making a list like this for them to follow and check off is ideal.  I don’t have to nag or keep reminding them of what they need to do.  As soon as a chore is done, they check it off the list.  When the list is finished I go around and check everything and make sure it’s all done right.  My girls know that cleaning their room and bathroom and drawers will always be on the list so they try to keep them clean all week so it doesn’t take long on Saturday.  (Bonus!)  An effective, simple routine that has worked well for us!  

This sweet girl of mine turned 8 last Friday!  Her birthday landed on Western Day at school.  This was the best we could do.  My mom called after I sent her this pic and said “don’t you even have a pair of boots for her to wear!?”  Oh this girl has boots.  Lots of boots.  But I wouldn’t exactly call any of them western.  :)   We have family coming into town tomorrow to help us celebrate this special birthday! So excited.  
Here is a peek of one of her birthday gifts.  (Ignore the messy garage – haven’t had time to do much about that yet!)  I had some desks made for the girls’ rooms and we decided to paint Ad’s hot pink! So fun.  So her.  :)  Their rooms are coming along!  I’ll share pics of the progress soon.   
In other news…  
I saw this fun idea on pinterest and loved it.  I thought “I love strawberry shortcake!  And I have cute jars!  I can do that!”  

So I decided to simplify the recipe by basically not following the recipe and just buying everything pre-made and easy to throw together.  Typical of how I work in the kitchen.  :)

Then I stuffed everything in the jar.  Hmm..  It didn’t look quite as pretty as the pinterest inspiration picture.  And you know what?  The jars were a pain to eat out of.  So I dumped everything into bowls and it was a big mess and the kids and I were much happier.  
Lesson learned: pinterest works great for me for organizing and decorating.  
I’ll just stick to getting ideas from those boards.  
:)
Enjoy your weekend everyone!  

xoxo, Erin
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