So This is What it Feels Like

Hi! My name is Claudia. I'm a recovering Over-doer, Martha Stewart Wanna-be, Viral Pinner (650,000 times because of this post), Creative Blogger, and Ideaholic. I hit rock bottom about 2 years ago.  My creative juices still flow and the urge is ever-present, but it had to stop consuming my life.

 

Ok. Kidding. Not kidding.

 

Y'all know I love some costumes, holidays, and theme parties! (Exhibit A, B, C, D, E, F...you get the idea.) I still do. But it was becoming a chore. A competition among other moms, pinners, bloggers, etc. That doesn't feel very good. It squashes creativity and makes it no fun at all! And as life would have it, all those plans and ideas have suddenly fallen to the bottom of my agenda. Besides, I think the only one who really cared was me. The accolades were great and all, but they don't drive the train very long. The accolades weren't up with me at 2am making party favors or gluing gauze strips to long johns for a mummy costume. It takes a lot of energy and time. Making the cutest Valentines, creating the perfect birthday party, or costume is just not really that important anymore. It seems that now all I can wrap my brain around is the boys, their homework, extracurricular activities, and my must-dos.

 

So this valentine's I finally got what IT feels like...to let it go, make it easy, manageable, and just keep it simple. And it all started with this box.

 

Fulton and Oliver were both required to decorate a box to use for collecting and distributing their valentines. I helped Oliver start his and then Fulton said, "Oh yeah! I need to do one too." Of course you do!!! I huffed and puffed and searched all over. NO BOX.
So off to Walgreen's we went! That's where I found these babies for 2.99 each. SOLD to the exhausted momma, who really no longer gives a poo and neither do her boys.

 And at that moment, the cute Valentine idea I had conjured up got upstaged by Darth Vader and the gang. Complete with tattoos and we even added a little pop of candy with a (Pinterest girls, close your eyes!) STAPLER! What?!?!?!? Who the heck have I become?!?!?!? Who uses a stapler? Staplers aren't cute and no body will ever pin, like, or repost store-bought Valentines that were stapled!!!

Guess what? I became the mom who no longer cared!
This is what their Valentines looked like. And I loved every square inch of it. It was easy and it felt so good! And the bonus: they did all of it themselves...except the stapler. YAAAASSSSSSS!

I urge you to PIN this bad boy to your "No One Really Gives a Crap" board.

 

My wheels will always be turning. I'll still plan parties, design invitations and costumes...in my head. But I'll be sure when I'm ready to fall off the wagon and give those plans life, that it feels good and doesn't send me to my rock bottom.

Back to School Prep

In the last week or so we have been making lists and checking them twice. I love the excitement back-to-school time generates. New shoes, backpacks, a few fresh pieces of clothing, and the school supply displays popping up all over town cause a sense of giddiness among parents and students. It's kinda like Christmas.

When the boys got their classroom placements we also got... dun-dun-dun ...The LIST! Each year we get all hyped-up and rush out and battle the Black Friday-like crowds to get all the specifics. Some of the teacher requests crack me up. They ask for certain brands, colors, styles, etc. I can remember my mom taking me to pick out my new Trapper Keeper and getting a pack of pencils or Erasermate pens (remember those??) and loose-leaf paper. That was it! I think it has kinda gotten out of hand. And I really don't know how, when, or why. Whatcha gonna do? They need their stuff.

But I happen to be a bit of a school/office supply junkie and the drawers of my craft room look like the early stages of hoarding. Sooo shopping for school supplies is right up my alley. I actually get a little jeally that I don't get to use all of it. Pencils...I love the smell of new pencils. And there are few things more awesome than a brand new pack of Crayola markers!!!!

Any who...

 

 So what's in The Pig bags?

Let's see...

1 clipboard

14 (yes, fourteen) composition notebooks

2 spiral notebooks

2 1" binders

1 1/2" binder

1 small sketch pad

1 pair of scissors

1 set of watercolor paints

1 box of colored pencils

1 zipper pouch

4 boxes of #2 Ticonderoga pencils

2 packs of wide-ruled notebook paper

2 boxes of washable markers

3 boxes of tissues

24 glue sticks

1 red pocket folder

1 pack of TWISTABLE colored pencils

Antibacterial wipes

PHEW!!!!
That would be the teacher-requested school supplies for S & F We're not quite there with O yet.

And along with buying all those very particular supplies, I like to buy a few surcies for our teachers and make them a Teacher's Tackle Box. I remember being a school-based speech therapist and #1 loving little surcies from parents and students and #2 being so thankful when they were useful. It's nice to feel loved and appreciated!

These pics are actually from last year but I'm putting together the same thing for them this year. My friend Misty did a similar one last year too.

I will be happy to share my PDF files for you to print your own labels. Just contact me by leaving a comment below or on Facebook.

So the last couple of days have been spent doing all the back-to-school prep work...cleaning out and organizing their clothes, locating lunchboxes and backpacks, and packing up the school supplies. The boys are super excited about their Back-to-School Rally tonight. They'll get to drop off their goodies and meet their teachers. Good times for the Baker boys!

What do y'all do to get ready for the new school year?

Stay tuned for highlights from our last minute vacay and "Summah 2012"!

XO,

God Bless America

What a great Fourth of July we had! We were so excited to start our day with a couple extra hours of SLEEP! I don't really know how it happened but we didn't wake up until almost 10 am...everyone! That was a cause worth celebrating itself! Thank goodness I prepared ahead of time and my contributions toward lunch were all ready to go.

We spent the day at the lake with Shannon's family. We a had a traditional July 4th spread of BBQ, coleslaw, corn, mac n cheese, and of course, banana pudding. It was delish! My boys were sun kissed and water-logged when it was all said and done from the hours of swimming, tubing, and playing wiffle ball.

 Fulton on "first base"

 Sam going tubing with Kirstin

The whole gang of kids

The boys and I sported our homemade tie-dyed shirts that we made the other day with my mom. {Great summer activity, by the way! And awesome idea...thanks, Muzzy!!!}

They were so proud and couldn't wait to show them off. And what holiday would be complete without patriotic TATTOOS! They wore them proudly, as usual.

We headed back toward town for fireworks at Capital City Stadium, but the boys were so wiped out they asked if we could just shoot some from home.
So we did and it was perfect.

Glo-Rida featuring Creepy Sparkler Dude in the background. This pic makes me laugh out loud!!! Oliver looks terribly concerned for his safety!

 They had the best seats in the house!

It was definitely a hot-as-a-firecracker kinda day, but nonetheless, we celebrated our independence very well! I am so thankful for all our freedoms in this wonderful country and I will always be grateful for the men and women who defend that freedom everyday.

Here's to hoping you had a great 4th too!

A Wocket in my Pocket

Last week, Oliver had a "dress up as your favorite book character day" at preschool. He chose his favorite character from Dr. Seuss's There's a Wocket in my Pocket. Currently, that is his fave. He wanted to be the boy on the cover.

I love how proud they are when they dress up. He woke up and saw his clothes lying out with the "Wocket" I had made. He just beamed!

They did a little parade around the school grounds. And here he comes...with his Wocket in his Pocket.

Hamburger Helpers!

Several weeks ago I decided to do a little revamping of our chore system. The previous plan had actually become non-existent and I had just resorted to having temper tantrums to get them to get things done. Not working so well.
I googled chore charts and found a few on Pinterest, but none of them were "new" to me. I wanted something to make them excited about helping and earning a commission.

We are big Dave Ramsey fans. I have mentioned him several times (here, here, and here). Dave suggests paying your children a "commission" rather than an "allowance". Here's his theory: An allowance is kind of a given...not earned. A commission is earned. Then there are responsibilities...you don't get paid for those. It makes perfect sense to me.

Our new system covers commissions and responsibilities. There are no handouts in the real world. So why should there be in our home? We have a "PAYDAY" and they are paid only for the work that has been done. We are also teaching them about tithing (Malachi 3:10), so 10% is immediately taken off the top and put in their envelope for church. They're not so fond of that part, but it will make it less painful when they are adults.

Any who...
I took a combo of concepts online (from this blog) and made up my own. I like to call it Hamburger Helpers.

I made it with Popsicle sticks, mod-podge, and magnets. Super easy!

Each burger has a bun; top bun= A.M. Responsibilities and bottom bun= P.M. Responsibilities.
Sam and Fulton each have six sticks making up the burger and condiments. Each stick has a chore (or chores depending on the complexity) and a value of the commission to be paid. There is an A list and B list of chores to be rotated between the 2 big boys. Yes! Ollie has his very own baby burger, since he is only 3, with age-appropriate chores.

So far, so good. There hasn't been any yelling or complaining involved and they really look forward to payday. Who knew Hamburger Helpers could be so good?

If you'd like a copy of the printable Hamburger Helpers to make your own, just leave me a comment below or contact me. I will email it to you! It will have our chores on it, but they are very basic and common household tasks. If the chores don't suit your family contact me through my SHOP and I'll customize one for you.

14 Lovely Days: Day 2

Well, we've been living in the land of the crud all week and the last 2 days I've had all three home sick. Cabin fever is setting in!

I tried really hard to keep the peace today. I let the boys pick their "territory". Sam chose my bedroom and Fulton chose the den. Ollie just roamed and took turns visiting his brothers in their territories. It was an interesting day to say the least. I'm just hoping everyone is well enough to go to school tomorrow.

Any who... on to Day 2.

My random act for the day originally involved making a special snack together, but I didn't think sharing the germs any further was a very good idea.
So instead...I picked a little activity that I found on Pinterest the other day.

Origami Monster Bookmarks! Cute, huh?

But when I got to the site from where it was originally pinned, I realized my Japanese was a little rusty. Sooo I did a little googling and found an origami site the shows you the folding process for the bookmark and we made our own.

I tried to photograph step-by-step so you could follow along...

Supplies:

Card stock or construction paper in various colors

Scissors

Hole punch for embellishments

Glue

We started with a 6x6 square

Fold into a triangle

Fold the left corner to the center point

Fold the right corner to the center point

Open up to a triangle again and fold one flap of the center point to the bottom

Re-fold the left corner towards the center point and tuck it into the "pocket"

Re-fold the right corner toward the center point and tuck it into the "pocket"

Cut a contrasting square slightly smaller than the 3x3 pocket

Apply glue and press inside

Cut embellishments- teeth, eyes, nose, tongue, etc.

Apply glue and press in place

Slide them onto the page corner of your favorite book

and voila!

Poor Sam was feeling so bad that he didn't want his picture taken. But he wanted me to let everyone know that he made the one that looks like a tiger, "with the cat eyes".

And finally. What does the 3 year-old who is fascinated by the scissors do while you're origami-ing with his brothers?

Well...

He cuts a hole in his shirt, of course.
Good times. Good times.

XO,

Hi! Didja miss me again?
I'm wondering if I'll ever come up for air these days. I cannot seem to get it together.
I last blogged 10 days ago. I had all intentions of putting together our Christmas and New Years Rewind but it never happened.

I feel slightly inadequate in blogland sometimes...I have SO much to say and share with you (my family and 5 readers), but so little time to write it all down. I have several friends who blog and have scheduled times each day that they post. Currently, I'm a night-time blogger - after the boys go to bed. I'd love to fit it into my day, but I'm just not that organized. I'm trying...but I'm not there yet.

Anywho...

The past 10 days have been a whirlwind. Shan rarely travels, but when he does he's gone the entire week. When Sam was a baby I didn't mind it so much. I'd hang out with my mom and dad a lot and they'd take us to dinner. I'd schedule lots of evening playdates with friends and their babies to kill time while I was missing Shannon. But now, so much has changed. I have a ton on my plate with the schoolwork and extra-curricular schedules of my 3 boys and my volunteer obligations. It's so much easier to cook a quick supper and stay in from the time they get home from school until bedtime. Anything extra outside our home is just too much.

Shan headed out last Sunday morning and I was on my own. Every time he travels, the place in my heart for single parents and military spouses grows even bigger. I DO NOT KNOW HOW THEY DO IT...EVERY DAY! We picked him up Friday night and I couldn't wait to see him. It makes me really realize what a wonderful guy I married. He helps me so much and is the best dad. The boys really missed him and were kinda outta sorts all week. But we got through it without too many issues.

However, while he was away, I thought I'd try to be a little more productive. I finished planning and shopping for Ollie's birthday and tackled a few little projects around the house - necessary and frivolous, alike.

I cleaned out and purged lots. I organized little things that had gotten out of control, and I did some deep cleaning that had been neglected over the holidays.

I made these cute pillows for my den...

And a cute winter wreath...

(We frosted the glass on our storm door for Ollie's birthday...It doesn't usually look cracked and smudgy.)

 Needless to say, Shan was quite happy to see that we not only survived without him, but that I was productive too! (Not because he thinks I'm incompetent without him, but because I'm always very weepy when he leaves as I'm dreading the overwhelming week ahead.)
The boys and I spent LOTS of quality time together and we learned LOTS more about each other's personalities. Let's just say it's nice to have daddy around as a buffer!

Hopefully, we can get a little more back to normal in the upcoming weeks and maybe I'll be able to get back on a regular blogging schedule. I wouldn't want to leave all of you sitting around on pins and needles for too long awaiting my next post!

XO

My FIRST Re-do

Several months ago I went to a yard sale and scored an old blue dresser for $15! I have been needing the extra storage space for table linens and wrapping paper for a long time now. I had no idea what color to paint it or where I'd put it for the longest time. It kinda floated around the house looking for a home. It landed happily in the living room, but as you will see it needed some major TLC. I had a vision and I finally  got to work.

I have been very inspired by one of my favorite blogs, Centsational Girl. She is amazing! I have been following her for a while now and I just love how she turns sad, lonely pieces into beautiful focal points. I love how she makes furniture POP.

My first hurdle was to find a color that was pop-able against my pale green walls and that would down-play the loudness of my must-have-hot-pink-sofa. I have a table skirt that's a floral print with pinks, greens, browns, and darker yellows. I have lots of this fabric left over with the intentions of making a throw pillows, which never happened...in 7 years. BUT I haven't given up hope. They will be done...soon.

I decided on the darkest shade of gold in the table skirt. It's called Yukon Gold and I love it. It definitely POPS!

We roughed it up and primed it with 2 coats of KILZ white primer. When that cured, I painted 2 coats of the Yukon Gold. The pulls were gun-metal grey, which I didn't really mind, but they just didn't go with anything else. I used this great brown hammered spray paint by Rustoleum and gave them a face lift too.

Any who! I was super pleased with the outcome for my first real re-do project. Thank goodness my momma is a re-do diva and was standing by to answer my ignorant questions. I had lots.

I was so excited about getting started, I almost forgot to take pics.

Blue Dresser Before:

Gold Dresser After:

Yay me! My table linens and wrapping paper are all neatly tucked away now. I just love it.

We had to move it to put the Christmas tree in the LR. So, for the time being, it is the display spot for my growing Nutcracker collection.

The Centsational Girl would be proud!

{I also have a story about the lamp. That's to come. So stay tuned.}