Move it, Turn it, Try Again

Afternoon my twinks awoke from their naps I decided to tighten up the crib. When I had laid them down I noticed a corner had a loose bolt. Then I decided to go ahead and lower the mattress as I had been meaning too, and Gracers has crawled out, albeit with a push from Meekers, if reports are to be believed. They also have been crawling into the crib.  In moving the crib I noticed there was a lot of hidden debris underneath. At that level the same was easily noted of Bears bed. To make a long story shorter before another tangent makes it longer- I ended up rearranging the kids bedroom.

I tried a couple layouts, but with not being strong enough to move the boy's bunk bed by my onesies, I turned Bears daybed and moved the toy bench, play table and toddler rocking chair. I vacuumed multiple times in sections as I moved. Hauled out dirty laundry, sippy & bowls, and a quarter garbage bag of garbage. Yikes! A closer inspection will be needed in the future. I moved the play kitchen to a corner in the living room and have a corner play nook (Kitchen, dollhouse, rocking horse, small toy bin) that the toddlers have been enjoying.

It is that time of year where I start organizing something everyday. Whether it be a drawer, closet, or room. I have the purging bug. Tomorrow I think I will sort through toys again. Aiming for the things they play with on a regular basis and rotating out the extra.  The main things they have been playing with is blankets making forts anyway.

Bookworm Crushes

This is what I have been drooling over lately!  How perfect is a tree inspired bookshelf?  A nice cozy reading nook is wanting to find its way into my home, I am positive! I'm not ready to fork over the moolah just yet, but I have been perusing the internet for inspiration.  I'm thinking I might be able to talk a certain family member with woodworking skills to come up with something for me....maybe in time for the Toddler's 3rd birthday this fall? {*ahem*, hint, hint, Uncle D...*cough, cough*}

Babyletto Spruce Tree Bookcase in white or green:

Tree Branch Shelf

Hanging chair from tree bookshelf

A Few Days Off?

My husband is a go getter.  He can't stand to just sit around and do nothing.  This weekend he stayed home with me and the boys instead of going to the farm.  He slept in until the boys woke us up and after that it was go go go!

I wasn't feeling so hot and was herding children, but that didn't slow him down.  My dear Hubby took a huge chunk out of To-Do's and made them To-Dones! While I sat around blowing my nose, running to the bathroom, and trying to get caught up on laundry/starting on some Spring cleaning, He:

1) hired a guy to come cut down the last tree in our backyard (the only one that really needed to go) It was 2/3 dead and thinking about falling on either our garage or the neighbors house. The Hubby and our neighbor had tried to get it last year, but after taking out the powerline to our house decided to let a  professional finish the job.

Our Tree guy estimated the Elm was 70-80 years old.   

2) rented a lawn tractor with tiller and got to work in our front yard, and then seeded it with grass. Woot woot, I have a lawn in my future!!! He delegated me to rake the grass seed in...and do some watering. Easy enough.

I'm going to have a lawn again!!!

3) went to work in the backyard with his chainsaw and cut up the tree for firewood. Easily gathered and delivered to our neighbors! Saves us a trip to the dump and they seem to like the free kindling.

4) took out 2 loads of twigs and branches and brought in several loads of dirt. He is planning on filling in the spots that settled from digging up the basement and finishing the landscaping. We will be tilling the backyard and planting grass there as well.

5) cleaned out and re-arranged stuff in the garage and created a pristine clutter free home for the car in the garage!!! Thereby starting the end to our Mexican Standoff!!

My car fits in the garage again!

6) also installed a new garage door opener/motor thingy and programmed it to my car.  Awesomeness!  Plus this side is newer, better and (as my dad would say) more good-er, AKA it has the motion sensor to prevent flattened children.

Mexican Standoff (the back story): We may have butted heads around moving time almost 2 years ago. Hubby had gone to Missouri for a 5 week Army school and expected me to have everything packed and ready for our move. I thought we should go through everything together and decide what we wanted and didn't want (plus I was dragging my feet and not really ready to move). Result unhappy husband and all of our crap getting loaded up, then dumped thrown moved into the garage. I was then told it was up to me to unpack.

 A year later, my mom pretty much told me to "suck it up buttercup" and tackle the garage.  We went through it and pitched a bunch of stuff; took two pickup loads to the dump; unpacked some more...until we got to a spot where I didn't know what to do with the rest of the stuff and decided when the Hubby got back from yet another one of his schools we could take 1/2 a day and finish the job TOGETHER (sensing a theme?)  Anywho at that point I could fit my car in the garage...about 2 weeks later, I no longer could.  Hubby needed something, junk got shifted...and my car sat in the driveway over the winter. The two of us might be a TAD bit stubborn.

Ugh...my half of the garage is going to take some time.

My mission I have been assigned is to go through the other half while he is gone.  Mission accepted babe, Thank you :)

 

Goal Progress #1

Remember my Post of 28 Goals?

Well I made some progress.  I cut myself *THREE* times, digging around for cooking utensils and decided I had put off organizing the drawers long enough.  I picked up some trays at WalMart which were around $8 a pop (at first I thought kinda spendy)...but now I'm thinking best investment ever.  I'm not sure if I regret not having a BEFORE picture, or am happy because of how embarrassing the state of the drawers were.

I did do some purging.  I grabbed an old grocery bag and put in the mismatched hand-me down silverware and utensils I've haven't used in a while.  The hubby and I bought a silverware set earlier this year (we are so grown up now...matching forks, spoons, and knives!!) It will take a little bit to get used to what is in what drawer, but it is so much easier to find what I am looking for by just opening the drawer.  AND no more bandaged fingers!

the adjustable holder, no slide bottom...serving pieces organized!

Cooking Sets and Spatulas together :)



matching silverware, and the kiddos utensils have a home now





Hodge Podge and accessories w/cords drawer



So in under 20 minutes I organized 4 drawers and started towards my goal of becoming more organized.  Bonus its super easy to keep organized, as the motto "Everything with a place, and Everything in its place" really does ring true. Okay, so I admit that last drawer doesn't look all that organized, but trust me it is an improvement and I can find stuff easier.

You  may remember I started this post mentioning that I cut myself, well all the knives got purged.  I have 3 Cutlery Sets that all include blocks, so I decided I didn't need the extra, hand-me down, free-floating, waiting-to-shank-the-next-unsuspecting-finger-digging -through-the-drawers assortment of knives.

*I do need to confess I have 2 more drawers to go through.  The rolling pins and baking stuff is still in need of some love. I also had so many more pieces, that are now packed up because I seldom use them.  But they are now separated by purpose in bags and all together in a shoe box in a newly organized closet.  I am really enjoying a more bare bones approach*