Filofax Friday and a Mini Haul!

I hit the Target Dollar Spot last week and picked up a few goodies for myself!  And I used most of this haul to decorate this week!  I love the coral polka dot washi.  It's probably my favorite piece from this haul... That, and the "&" stamp.

Here's next week decorated.  I really like how minimalistic it is.  The only stickers I used are the gold heart and the label sticker.  The package they came in has the same stickers in a craft paper.  SO much fun!

And here are my pages with a bit of my schedule in.  I do color code, thus the different colors of ink that you see.  I have a different color for each member of my family, which makes it so much easier to keep track of everyone's schedules.  

I do need to put something under the flags to make it so they stay down better.  Any suggestions?

Thanks so much for stopping by again!

Oh, and just a quick question: I've been tossing the idea around in my head about a YouTube channel...  If you would be interested in watching how I decorate, my setup, and some other things that I do on my blog, please comment!  Thank you!

Thankful Thursday, Week 9

Thursdays are quickly becoming my favorite day of the week.  Not only because I'm reminded of all the things I have to be thankful for, but for us, it's the beginning of a weekend.

1.  Flavored water.  I've recently completely given up soda, and I've been drinking carbonated flavored water instead.  I feel so much better!
2.  Crock pot recipes.  We're fairly busy in the evenings, so it's such a time saver to throw dinner together in the morning and not have to think about it for the rest of the day!
3.  Book reviews.  I was asked to read and review a marriage devotional.  It's a 30 day devotional, and so far, I'm really enjoying it.
4.  RAKs.  It stands for Random Act of Kindness... One of the Filofax Facebook groups that I joined does several of these, and one of the members sent me an envelope full of these goodies!  So much fun!

5.  Baxter's bed.  I made this several months ago, and since I've moved my office around, and it's closer to me, he's using it again.  I'm so glad he likes it!

6.  Being made in the image of God.  And learning what that really means.  No comparing myself to others, and having a positive self image.  Because I am His.

7.  For a husband not afraid to say what needs to be said.  

8.  For my new desk.  I'm absolutely loving it!  It's the perfect height, and I love having all the room!

9.  Piano lessons!  I've recently started teaching piano lessons to a sweet little girl.

10.  Guitar lessons!  The little girl's dad is giving guitar lessons to my sweet little boy.  Perfect trade off!

11.  Another bonus is that this little girl's dad is a friend from childhood.  We were once in a band together... Long ago.

12.  For losing teeth...

The Asher-man lost is first one!

13.  The bittersweet feeling that comes with little milestones like loosing teeth.  My babies are growing up.  And I'm so proud of them already!

14.  For happy mail.  I love getting things in the mail!

15.  For my 3 in 1 printer.

16.  My new planner charm.  This is something that came in the mail.  It's gorgeous, and it has some of my favorite things.  The Fleur De Lis, an Eiffel Tower, purple beads, and a Filofax charm.  Perfection!  I bought it from a shop on Etsy.  Check her out here! Filolove 

She made this just for me, and made sure I was happy with it.  I'll definitely be buying from her again!

17.  My husband's strength and commitment to our family.  I'm so thankful that I have a shoulder to lean on, and someone to go to that I know loves me unconditionally and just wants what's best for our family.

18.  Potato soup.  The perfect comfort food.

19.  My old piano books.  I love reminiscing my way through them.

20.  Drinks and talks with good friends.  There's not a lot that's better than that.  And I've really been blessed in the friendship area.  I'm so very thankful for my friends!

I'm loving keeping my list of "Thankfuls" with me.  It's really fun to look back over the last few weeks and be thankful all over again.  God is good.

Office redo/reorganization

Warning: Photo Heavy Post!  This is my office yesterday morning... The disaster that was...  It was so hard to work in it... And I really didn't have enough desk space.  I had an L-shaped desk, and a folding table that I used for my sewing machine.  And, as I'm getting another machine this weekend, (an embroidery machine!) I seriously needed to make more room...

I showed you pictures of the desk I built yesterday.  So far, I'm LOVING it!  The surface space is amazing, and I really like the height of it.

Here's a panoramic view of my office/ craft room:

I moved my bookshelves to the other side of the room.  I store my fabric, and my patterns here as well as the embellishments that I use of my hair bows and such.

And Baxter's bed.  Which is made from an old army ammunition box.  I love it.  He sleeps in it maybe once every 3 months.  You can also see my fold down ironing board.  I plan on recovering it ASAP.

Another view of my amazing new desk.  I even have room for my TV on it.  It was previously hung on the wall, and although I could hear it, I could only see it if I turned a certain way. The only thing I don't particularly care for is the fact that you can see all my computer cords hanging all over the place... I need a solution for that, STAT.

The right side of my new desk.  I've got various paper supplies and scissors under here.  With plenty of room to spare!

Here's the left side!  My Cricut, paints, and other paper cutting supplies.

And the shelving above my desk.  As I said yesterday, the wall organizers are made from the front of the kids' crib.  I love it.  It still has their little teeth marks on it.  I keep my ribbon and all my Cricut cartridges here.  The shelving was a Craigslit find last year.  I decided to use them for more decorative purposes than before.  I previously just had all the little things that I didn't want the kids to get to on them.  This looks much better.  And looking at the things up there just makes me happy.

I put my folding table as well as an old one a grabbed from the garage in an L-shape on the other side of my desk.  It's perfect for a sewing area, and I have plenty of room for my new machine!  The bulletin board has some favorite pictures on it, as well as some things that the kids have made for me.

The view from the sewing area.

And the other side of my window.  I love this wingback chair!  I plan on recovering it very soon.  Baxter likes it, too.  

You can also see my antique dress form.  Vintage 1940s.  I love it.

There you are!  I'm so happy with how this turned out.  Let me know if you have any questions!  And feel free to pin or share!  Thanks for reading!

Make Something Monday: DIY Desk

My office is a disaster.  And I hate it this way.  I have a really hard time working in all the chaos.  Not only that, my desk, although functional, is actually falling apart.
I made the wall organizers last year from the rail of my kids' crib.  I LOVE them.  I need to organize them a little better, but that's it.  They're not going anywhere.
I'm also getting a new toy this weekend, so I need to make some room for it.  It's an embroidery machine, and I'm more than excited about it!  So...  I started tearing the room apart this morning....

It's now 3 PM... The room is still a disaster.  But I have this!

I went to Walmart and grabbed a couple of 3 shelf bookcases, and then to Home Depot and got a door...  There's no holes or anything in it, and I knew it'd be sturdy... I wish that Walmart had had the white shelves, but I'm kinda liking the contrast of the black and white.

Here it is with my computer and things on it.  I'm still working on the rest of the room, but I'm really excited about how it's looking so far!  Stay tuned, and I'll show you the finished product tomorrow!

Filofax Friday

I just joined a couple of Filofax Facebook groups that I'm really excited about.  It's neat how such a big community has developed around planners and decorating them.  I'm loving all the tips and advice that I'm getting.  Not to mention drooling over everyone's decorations...
I used three different colors of washi this week.  I love the blue with the subtle chevron pattern.

I used some cute colored labels that I got from the Dollar Spot at Target and some butterfly stickers from the Dollar Store.

It's simple, but colorful, and cute!

I just got this organizer from Wal-Mart that I'm sorta excited about.  It's got three drawers in it that I've got my washi, stickers, and extra post-its in.  The top has sections for paperclips and such.  I'm loving it!  All my Filofax supplies in one spot!

I hope you have a fabulous Friday!  Happy decorating!

Thankful Thursday, Week 8

I really need to be better about writing things down as I'm thankful for them...  It would make it much easier on me than trying to come up with 20 things every Thursday.  I'm going to make a note in my filofax to try to remember daily.

1.  New Tires!  on our trip down to Idaho, we had a flat.  I'm so thankful that it didn't blow out.    It looked like a part of a chain punctured the tire.  There was a pretty good sized hole in it.
2.  That my finger isn't broken.  The other day I was doing my dishes, and it sounded like something was stuck in my disposal.  I turned it off, but didn't wait quite long enough for it to stop spinning before I stuck my hand in it.  (oops!)  My acrylic nails definitely protected my finger from being cut and or broken.  It chipped my nail, and my finger is sore, but not broken... Then later the same day, I was helping move my new china hutch in the house, and a smashed the same finger against the door jamb.  It's pretty bruised and swollen, but, again, not broken.
3.  My new china hutch.  And the pretty dishes inside of it.  Isn't it gorgeous?

4.  I LOVE the light inside of it.  It's so pretty!

5.  My kids' developing sense of humor.  It's fun to hear their wit and how they tease each other.

6.  My dolls.  We got them out of storage while we were in Idaho.  I still don't have an idea what to do with them, but they make me smile.

7.  Good visits with old friends.  It was nice to see them, and I love how we can pick up where we left off.

8.  Sports cards.  This is my oldest son's new hobby.  It's great to see him flip through his book, and I love how excited he gets over them.

9.  Spray paint.

10.  My finished mudroom!  It looks awesome!  And the kids LOVE it!  They each have their own cubby, and it's just perfect!

11.  The trampoline park! FUN, fun, fun!

12.  That I can SEE!  I just got glasses for the first time in my life, and it's so nice to be able to see again!

13.  My new desk organizer!  I got a new thing to put all my filofax supplies in.  I'll show pictures tomorrow!

14.  The toys that are always on my floor.

15.  Little hats

16.  Four-10-hour days.  My husband's new schedule.  I love that he has every Friday off!

17.  Costco

18.  Good deals on cute little hamster houses

19.  Asher's new clock.  My sister-in-law got it for him, and it's the only one that will actually wake him up!

20.  Straw bowls.  My kids each have one for their cereal, and they're awesome.

Being thankful is such an easy thing to do when you think about it.  And it makes such a big difference in your life!  The joy is in the journey!

Trip Tuesday?

That works, right?  I'll tell you about our trip to Idaho.  Both my husband's and my families live there, so it was such a good time to see everyone.
We left Friday morning, and as soon as we pulled out of the driveway, my husband decided that the dog smelled too bad to travel with, so we stopped and had him groomed really quickly.  He did smell a lot better, but they clipped one of his toenails a bit short, so it was bleeding all over the car.  Poor dog!
The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful with the exception of a flat tire between Baker and Ontario.  Thankfully, we had a spare, and Jim was able to get it changed and we were back on the road.  We did have to stop at Les Schwab to get a new tire, and it turns out that we had run over a chain or something.  It put a good sized hole in the tire, so we were lucky that it didn't blow out!
We dropped the kids off at my parent's house, and Jim and I went to a hotel for the night.  That was awesome!  We haven't ever done that in the 8 & 1/2 years we've been married, so it was really, really nice to have an entire night for just the two of us.
When we got up on Saturday morning, we did some "Christmas" shopping.  Since we weren't able to come down to spend Christmas with family, we did a gift exchange Saturday night.  I LOVE that.  My husband's family is so much fun, and I love watching the kids light up.
On Sunday, I took off with my mom for a while, and it was really nice to spend a couple of hours with her.  Then we took to the kids to "Wahooz" which is an arcade, go cart race track, laser tag, bowling... etc.etc.  It's a really fun place.  Haven LOVED the go carts!  And her mom stood out in the cold for 2 hours so she and her brother could ride.  I was COLD!

We were able to see some of our really good friends and I met my "sister" Missie for coffee yesterday morning.  She had to work, so I was really bummed that we didn't have more time to spend together, but we had a nice chat, and it was a good way to start off a Monday.

We stopped by my in-law's storage unit to grab some things that had been in there for years... My husband grabbed some baseball cards that he's had since he was a kid, so he could give them to our oldest son.  He has the entire set from 1994.  Crazy.  And Jay is thrilled!

I grabbed a bin that had all my porcelain dolls that I collected as a girl in it... I don't know what I'm going to do with them all yet.  Haven doesn't have a shelf in her room that's high enough for me to put them on, and she's not quite old enough yet for me to leave them down...

See the bigger one that's sitting?  That one belonged to my grandma.  I love it.  She gave her to me years ago, and I plan on passing her down...  Again, I don't really know where I'm going to put her for now...  Any ideas?

We had a pretty uneventful drive home, and it really felt good to sleep in my own bed last night.  Today I get to do laundry and unpack.  And figure out where to put all the kids' Christmas gifts...  Ugh.  

That was my weekend!  I hope you had one that was just as wonderful!

Filofax Friday

It's Friday again! And Happy Valentine's Day!  And I'm actually ahead of schedule this time!  I was able to make a visit to Staples, and I found some more cute washi.  (It's become an obsession!)  Aren't those bicycles great?

Here's the other page.  And, as you can see, I found my white out! 

We're getting ready to get on the road for a weekend trip to visit family in Idaho.  I'm more than excited.  Our kids are having a sleepover with my parents in their fifth wheel tonight, and my hubby and I are having a night just the two of us!  That's pretty rare, and so I'm really excited about it.  Happy Valentine's Day to me!

The more I use my filofax, the more I love it!  I love how I can just look up a date and I know exactly what I have going on.  My days are getting busier and busier, and although it doesn't look like it now, this week will fill up pretty quickly.

Have a fabulous Valentine's Day!  I hope yours is as filled with love as I know mine will be!

Thankful Thursday, Week 7

Wow.  It's Thursday.  And I'm really thankful it's Thursday.  This week I caught round number 2 of the flu that we've had, and boy, did it throw me for a loop!  I don't think I've ever been that sick!  I have a lot to be thankful for this week.

1.  A full night's sleep.
2.  NYQUIL!
3.  Snow days.
     Here's a couple pictures of my little ones enjoying all the snow.  They loved it!  We were stranded in our neighborhood for a couple of days, but, hey, the kids had fun! :)

4.  Long weekends.  (we're taking off tomorrow to go see family and friends.  I'm really looking forward to it!)

5.  Helpful friends.  One in particular.  She came and got Haven on Tuesday morning so I could sleep.  I needed it.

6.  My mudroom.  It looks great!  I'll post pictures next week!

7.  Hip Hop.  All three of my kids are in Hip Hop class, and they LOVE it!

8.  Football cards.  My oldest has just started collecting them.  I love how he's so interested in them.

9.  Manicures and pedicures.

10.  Tax refunds

11. Peppermint oil.  This stuff works wonders for nausea and vomiting.

12.  Unexpected weight loss... I lost a few pounds with this nasty flu.

13.  Hotel stays.  My husband booked a hotel for us for Valentine's Day.  I'm SO excited!

14.  Sleepovers for the kids.  (They're staying the night with my parents while we're at the hotel.)

15.  Musical tooth brushes.  My son just got one that plays "We Will Rock You." by Queen.  

16.  Purple Ink.  Because it makes me happy.

17.  Valentine's Day.

18.  Late Christmas.  We'll be doing a gift exchange with my in-laws while we're in Idaho.

19.  Lessons in respect.  My oldest son gave me an opportunity to teach him one before school this morning.  

20.  Crazy, crazy mornings.  Sometimes, I dread how absolutely chaotic they are, but I know that they're short-lived.  My kids are already growing up way too fast.  I'm going to treasure these times.

Have a fabulous Thursday!  And remember to be thankful!

Make Something Monday: Closet to Mudroom

This is actually a project that I haven't started yet.  But, I'm really excited about it, and hope to have it in full swing very soon.

I have a wonderful laundry room.  Oodles of storage.  Lots of cabinets, a sink, and a closet.  

I've used this closet for several different things:  Cleaning supplies, toy storage, and right now is serves as blanket and linen storage.  Well,  I've decided that it will function better as a mud room.

The shelves are coming out, the doors are coming off, and we will either purchase or build a bench and so coat hooks.  I can't wait to show you all how it looks!  Oh, and if anyone has any wood they'd like to contribute to my cause, it'd be greatly appreciated. :)

Right now, our shoes and coats are in our entry way... And it just looks messy and cluttered.  We definitely need a new solution.

So, all my linens are being relocated to these wonderful cabinets above my washer and dryer. There's SIX of them!  And I have very few things in them right now.

I'm hoping to build a pedestal for my washer and dryer, too, but we'll see if that happens.  Keep your fingers crossed for me! 

Today is laundry day, so I get to tackle that mountain of clothes you see over in the corner.  In my defense, it's really not that high.  That's a clothing rack with the kids' snow suits hanging on it.  It looks much worse than it is.

  I'll post pictures of how far I get with this tomorrow!  Have a great Monday!

Filofax Friday

As promised, here's this week filled in.  I love that this weekend is so open!  YAY!  Lots of family time at home, which we all love.

As I was decorating this week, I was really bummed about some washi tape I got.  It's the Scotch brand, and it kept tearing.  Repeatedly.  But, it's the only red washi I had, and since this week is Valentine's week, I kept at it.

And, isn't washi supposed to be repositionable?   This?  Not so much.  Ugh.

But, I powered through... And realized that I have misplaced my white-out... So stickers cover some of the plans we had made for the move that isn't going to happen...  Oh, well... They're cute.  And some are scratch and sniff. :)  I would have done more with the washi tap, but I was at the end of my rope with this red stuff....  Me no likey.  Oh, well.  It turned out to be pretty cute.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Thankful Thursday. Wk. 6

I really could just post these pictures and call it good.  I really am thankful for these three little people.  Even when they keep me up all night puking all over me and their beds and my bed.  I know that all too soon, they'll be so big that they won't need me in the middle of the night anymore.  I both look forward to, and dread that day.   I love these kiddos with all my heart and even when I get no sleep, every moment is so worth it.  Thank you, God for my kids!

1.  The amount of joy a balloon brings to my kids.

2.  Haven wrapping her toys in blankets to give to me as presents.

3.  My little space heater that keeps me toasty warm as I'm working in my office.

4.  This nasty flu bug seems to be short lived...

5.  My carpet shampooer! (It's been used A LOT the last couple of days and nights...)

6.  Our cars.  Even though they're not always completely reliable, I'm thankful that we have two vehicles that get us where we need to go.

7.  That *most* of us are feeling better.

8.  For extra bedding.

9.  Throat drops.

10.  Hot tea.

11.  My kids' giving nature.  I'm so thankful that they are always thinking of things to give to others.

12. Their amazing imaginations!

13.  Jim's new schedule.  It means more family time!

14.  Cold winter days that remind me how wonderful spring is.  It's 9 degrees here with a windchill of -6!

15.  Coupons!  I love a good deal!

16.  Early bed times.  Jim let me go to bed early last night since I didn't feel well, and I needed it since I spent a good part of the night up with sick kids.

17.  Socks with hearts on them.

18.  Free coffee!  Last Sunday our church gave everyone gift cards to Dutch Bros!  YAY!

19.  Hip hop classes.  All three of my kid are going to be taking Hip Hop.  Can't wait!

20.  Inspirational words. 

Tip Tuesday: Homemade Dishwasher Soap

I don't know how much money I've saved using my homemade laundry bombs.  Here's another good money saver!  (And from the looks of my jar, I need to make some more.)

Here's the recipe:  I keep it in my filofax so I don't have to dig through my Pinterest Board to find it.

I'll make it easier on you:

Dishwasher Detergent:

2 c. Borax

2 c. Washing soda

2 c. Lemi Shine

1 c. Kosher Salt

Use white vinegar as a rinse aid.  I just put some in a small container on the top shelf.  My dishes are clean and sparkly with no hard water spots.  I love this stuff!

One of my favorite things about this is that most of the ingredients were already in my cupboard because I use them to make my Laundry Bombs.

 And the link to the Original Recipe:

Happy Dishwashing!