The two just don't line up...and that's okay.

When you have little ones, parts of your day are very busy and other parts of your day are calm.
When you have older kids, parts of your day are very busy and other parts of your day are calm.

I have learned in the past couple of months that the two parts of the day do not line up!

I have a baby who wakes up in the wee hours of the morning..which is fine...I am a morning person..
...but that used to be MY time! Reading, Coffee, News!...Haha.

By the time he takes his morning nap...the older kids are going full force.

There are not many moments...if any..that are mine anymore.
I am never alone.

I don't mind it..please don't think I'm complaining....I absolutely love my life!
....but every once in a while...every once in a greeeeaaaat while...I want my own apartment.
My own immaculately- clean- Pottery Barn- decorated apartment.
With Jeff of course. I'll take him along. ;)

XxOo

Fashion Tip Friday ~

By now... everyone in the world knows braids are trendy.
This week I am in love with her hair...and shirt. I WANT that shirt!
Thought I'd share how to do this and where I found it.


....and one more song from  Drew Holcomb because he's just so good!

Have a great weekend.
XxOo

This week we've...

...gone on 50 walks.
.....baked 1 batch of double chocolate m&m cookies.
...majorly cleaned out the girl's closet.
.......been listening to our Drew Holcomb vinyl...because he's our best friend.
.....purged the school room shelves. {sort of..still working on that}
...washed lots and lots of laundry and hung it out on the line to dry.
......gotten Frankie on a good sleeping schedule.
...read lots of books...mostly That's Not My Snowman. ;)
......watched our maple tree change from red to orange to yellow to the ground.
.....enjoyed the last of these 70 degree days!

.
Looking forward to the weekend.
XxOo

Our weekend {in poor quality, but meaningful photos}

I never post birthday parties...I'm not good at taking out the camera at holidays and birthdays.
I do better in the everyday..but I thought turning ONE was worthy.

It was his first cupcake.
Made from scratch.
Baked by one sister, frosted by the other.
A Thomas the Train decoration on top...because he LOVES Thomas.

We made chili and had a fire out back and the kids broke open a pinata.
That was Saturday.

Sunday....Oh Sunday was fabulous.
You guys don't know how much I love Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors.
{or maybe you do because I am always posting links to their music? Ha!}

We went to see Drew Holcomb...I've been waiting forever.
The show was amazing...small and intimate and all about the music.

Then...we got to MEET Drew Holcomb!
Now we're super good friends. I think he signed my album....To My Bestie...
I'll have to double check on that.

Hope your week is off to a great start.
XxOo

Fashion Tip Friday ~

Remember a loooong time ago when I used to do Fashion Tip Fridays?
{Don't check them out...they are mostly irrelevant and out of style now.}
I want to do them again. {smile}

In the Midwest we are just entering into sweater season...which will last from now until May!
If anything is worth investing in...it's a good jacket and a worthwhile sweater that you love.
Chunky, turtle neck sweaters! I LOVE them. and they are back. and I am collecting.

I have always been a huge fan of sweaters. {aren't most women?}
A few years into our marriage, when Jeff and I still shared a closet, he counted my sweaters.
They took up an ample amount of space and became a source of irritation to him...
...there was no reason for the amount I owned he would say...I suppose 55 was a little much. Ha!

That was my 20's... when quantity won over quality.
In my 30's I have pared down and learned to appreciate the value of a nicely knit sweater...
...and keep only a few that will carry over for multiple seasons. My closet is also less cluttered.  

There is nothing more cozy than a chunky sweater. Hot chocolate in hand. Old movie on the TV.
Have a wonderful weekend. Happy Friday.
XxOo

All images are from Free People.

A little about laundry.

One of the things I will miss most when winter arrives....hanging our clothes on the line to dry.
I mean, who doesn't love the relaxing look of clean sheets gently blowing in the breeze?

I'm sure if you're reading this you know how to do laundry....
but....I've gotten many tips on how to do laundry from people over the years....
Today I thought I'd share a little of their wisdom that has helped me greatly!

1. Everyone Gets Their Own Laundry Basket. {my mom}
Once the boys started wearing men's clothes...socks in this house became a nightmare!
Telling their things apart became hard as they all grew to the same size as my husband.

Each person has 2-3 loads per week.
Whites.Darks.Lights.

Clothes are no longer mixed up.


2. Everyone Has a Laundry Day.
Monday- My boys have first dibs on the washer {they do their own laundry now..for the most part}
Tuesday- Girl clothes and sheets.
Wednesday- Mine and Jeff's clothes and sheets.

Towels are done everyday or every other.
Frankie's clothes are washed randomly...since he messes things randomly. :)


3. Soak Your Stains Away. {my mother in law}
My mother in law is the queen of dirt removal. The woman can get a serious stain our of anything!
I think she has a special stain removing machine in her basement she doesn't tell anyone about.

Her secret... soak, soak, soak. Pour a little detergent on the spot...leave it soak.
Soak for days if that's what it takes.

Something I do with my baby clothes...
I leave a bucket with soapy water in the laundry room..
...when something gets dirty I stick it into the bucket to soak until I wash the load of clothes.
It helps so much with stains...I love it.

4. Never Dry Clothes All The Way. {my mother in law}
If my mother in law catches you putting a shirt in the dryer...Watch Out!!!
I can honestly say though...air drying keeps your fabrics nicer longer.

I take my clothes out of the washing machine and put them in the dryer for just a minute or two...
...this gets all the wrinkles out and gives clothes back their shape after the spin cycle.
Then I hang them to dry. Laundry dries fresh and crisp and I hardly ever have to iron!

*I do dry my towels, socks and pajamas. {and sheets during the winter months}

5. Use a Clothesline. {my mom}
Like I said...my mom always used {and uses} a clothesline.
The sun bleaches and takes stains out of your whites!
Your laundry will smell fresh and airing things out is a healthy thing to do.

Standing outside in beautiful weather hanging clothes on the line is actually quite therapeutic too.
Clotheslines can be good for the soul.

6. Grease Spots! {My Grandma}Dish Soap! DUH! Dawn cuts grease on pans....why not on clothes?
When I was little....I remember being in my grandmother's kitchen
and watching her pour a little dish soap onto her shirt.

It stuck with me and I've been doing it for as long as I can remember.
If you happen to splatter grease...immediately put dish soap on it..
then...soak it. You'll be pleased.

Finally...this past summer I started making my own laundry soap.
I know I'm the last person to get on this train..but I'll talk about it anyway.

Oh my goodness...SO easy and SO cheap! and no chemicals.

I make a powder that lasts us about 7-8 weeks. {and we do a lot of laundry}
This is the recipe my neighbor gave to me....

1 box of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda {$4.00}
1 box of 20 Mule Team Borax {$4.00}
3 bars of Fels Naptha bar soap {$1.00 each} ...you can use any soap you like..
...{I want to try Mrs. Meyers next, but her bar soap can be a bit pricey.}

Mix the two powders together.
Grate the bars of soap into the powder.
Mix together.
Store in a container.
Use a 1/4 cup per load.

*I've still been using spray and wash or oxy-clean for stains*


Hopefully some of these tips will help you like they helped me!
...and if you have any great ideas feel free to share.
Everyone would appreciate any help they can get I'm sure.

Happy Laundry Day.
XxOo

Blueberries for Sal...Raspberries for Frankie.

Have you ever read the book Blueberries for Sal?

Shame on you if the answer is No! Buy it today.

Robert McCloskey  is my favorite children's author. He has been since my oldest was a wee little lad.
I love, love his illustrations and stories and how his books are modeled after his very own family.

{and I've always wanted to live in Maine even though I've never been there! Ha!}

In the story little Sal follows after her mom eating all the blueberries....
This is how raspberry picking went yesterday.

First it was out of my little pint container...then he realized he could pick his own!

Today we will be making raspberry jam...
...and celebrating this little guy turning ONE!!!

How??? Oh how did a year go by so fast?

XxOo

To get their hearts.....

Pray. Pray hard. Pray together.
Teach them the way...God's way.
Keep them close.
Listen.
Build trust.
Humble yourself.
Teach them to be selfless.
Teach them to love God deep.
Seek answers for wisdom...it's there for the taking.

Let them know you struggle too.
Let them know you can't do it alone...tell them you don't have all the answers...
...because we don't.

But...show them how to find the answers.
Tell them God has the answers...the Bible has the answers.

Offer what you do know...because you do know more than them.
Admit that you fail too...because you do fail.
They know you fall short....pretending that you don't hurts everyone. {including yourself}

They need to be able to come to you...in a non-judgmental way.

If you judge...they won't listen.
If you judge...they will be turned off.
If you judge...they won't talk.
If you have pride in your heart...you will not have their heart.

Help them to seek God's purpose for their life...not just what they want.
It's not about money. It's not about security. It's not about the things of this world.

Colossians 3:2 ~ Set your mind on things above and not on earthly things.

One thousand years from now...all of what we know will be gone...
Master's degrees will be worthless. Fame and fortune will mean nothing.
We will be long forgotten on this earth.

But our souls...your soul will go on.

Where will your child's soul be? That's most important. Their soul.

Teach them to surrender.
Show them how to surrender.

Surrendering is hard....when we surrender, things usually don't go according to OUR plan.
Surrendering is giving up what we want and doing what God wants.

Surrendering is selfless. Being selfless is hard.

Life is hard.
Life is special.
Life is wonderful.
Life is a gift! A beautiful, beautiful gift.

Being a parent is a gift.
If you have someone...learn to lean on each other.
Being on the same page makes a world of a difference.

(and if you're thinking..."If only he/she were on my page!"
...maybe you should get on their's. ;)

{I am thankful to be a parent alongside such a strong man.
A man who loves God and loves his family with all his heart.
I am so thankful I have him to lean on.}

All of us will have our struggles because the enemy is hard at work...and he will attack!
We need to love each other. We need to be in it together.

Happy Monday.
XxOo

Monday.

Last Monday he climbed down off the side of the bed, started walking and has been at it ever since.
He's big stuff now. It's so cute when babies start walking around..I love it!
I love how excited they get!

Of course he thinks he's Lewis or Clark.
Stairs, cabinets, drawers, baskets...he's "exploring" pretty much everything.

"No touching"....the hottest phrase in our house these days. ;)

He watched Alex intently as he lit a fire. Sunday morning lesson. Hot, Hot, HOT!!!
He was good about staying away. But...He's a boy! and you know boys and fire.

Next week our baby will turn one. I can't believe how fast a year has gone by.

Hope your week is off to a good start.
XxOo

I like your coffee selfies.

My husband prides himself on being unsocial on social media.
{*Note* He is on Facebook, Instagram, Linked-In and has a Twitter account...
....{but he lays low...hides in the shadows...he's socially incognito..
...uses his accounts only for his business and minimal personal use}

He calls Instagram - "Selfies, sunsets and food". Facebook is "The News"
It's funny and mostly true.

Lately I have read a few articles going around the web saying the same sort of thing.
One was called...."Alright, we know you love Starbucks."

I must say..scrolling though my Instagram feed I almost always come across
a Starbucks drink posted by one of my friends.

But you know what?..I like it!

I love seeing pictures of your coffee cups and sunsets and freshly baked pies and new throw pillows and your fancy braids and your fall decor and your babies  and your new shoes!!!
All of it! I love seeing pictures.

It's why we're on social media in the first place right? To see pictures and see what everyone is up to?
To be inspired and encouraged and hopefully encourage and inspire others.

Your pictures often inspire me. Make me smile.
All this to say...Keep posting away!!!

This Song played as I typed this out. So pretty.
This may be a repeat song, can't remember if I've ever posted it. One of my favorites.

If you need me on the morning of November 6...I'll be Here!
I am SO excited!

The next two days are going to be sunny and in the 50's. Hello Fall!
Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend.
XxOo