Toy Bins

With two boys ages 1 and 3 the toys and activity supplies can create a wild mess in a couple of seconds. Being the neat and organized personality that I am, I strive to reasonably keep the clutter under control and the number one way I do that is with bins. I utilize bins for toys, activities, clothing, and any kind of gear that needs to be kept together. Bins have been a wonderful storage solution for our family.

I like bins for three reasons. First, they can be tucked away under tables, beds, or into bookshelves so after cleanup items are out of sight. Secondly, by tucking bins away less items make their way out each day which makes less daily clutter. I usually get out two or three bins at a time and when we are ready to move on we pick those bins up before getting more out. This solution does not always work but it certainty helps. Lastly, I like that I can instill good cleaning habits in The Brothers by having them help pick up and bins are easy for toddler and preschool age kids to use. We don't use lids, we use less organization rules, and when possible I can group items like balls, Squigs, or art supplies. These three little reasons are what let me to use a bin system.

This weekend we made a couple more toy bins for downstairs. I love the Pottery Barn canvas storage bins which fit perfectly into our Pottery Barn table and Bookshelves. 

Canvas Storage Bins 

However, even on sale, the price of these did not fit into my budget. I also found I needed large sizes to hold trucks and balls but the medium size is what fit with our furniture. Brian and I did some measuring and pricing and found a simple solution with wooden crates. These don't work for every situation because they are hard and have shape corners but when tucked under furniture or in a corner the size works for us. Additionally, with 40% off at Michales, these bins are about $6 so the price is budget friendly.

To make the bins I laid down a garbage bag to protect my table. I purchased Martha Stewart stain in espresso, grabbed some sand paper from Brian, reused a baby food jar for the stain, and purchased a small sponge brush.

Shane and I did this project together in hopes he would take more pride in using the toy bins. We sanded and stained the bins.

After we were done we had several new toy bins that tucked perfectly under our coffee table, PB Kids table, and under the side tables. After we were done Shane and I filled up the new bins and put them to use! For about $7.50 each, when used in an area that won't have lots of rough housing, these bins are a great fit!

A Little Mess in the Name of Fun

This past weekend, our goal was to have fun with The Brothers. It was my birthday. It was sunny. The Brothers are at an amazing age. With fun in mind, we decided to let the boys get out some finger paints and get crafty by painting a huge box that we had gotten that day. They were thrilled!

We picked finger paint for many reasons. Shane LOVES to paint right now using any medium he can; sponges, brushes, straws, hands, fingers, feet. I think the creative freedom, colors, and feel of the paint draw Shane in. Shane is also a blend of a kinesthetic  and reading preferred learner so the boy absorbs every bit of his activity from color blending, movement, and texture. Keith loved his first try at finger painting too. It was a great sensory activity for our little one year old. Painting was a great choice for both kids. 

With all the fun and learning that took place while painting our box, a great deal of a mess came along with it. Shane managed to paint his hands, the drawers, the floor, and the dishwasher. Keith kept trying to eat the paint. I was so delighted seeing the boys happily creating and doing but inside a little bit of me shuddered at the mess. I often have that little voice inside of me that says what a chore this is going to be to clean up later but lately, like when they were painting, I am learning to silence that voice. I only get to go through childhood with my kids once. Sometimes I need to let in a little bit of chaos and a whole lot of mess in the name of fun. Sometimes I am going to spend a little more time cleaning paint up off the floor at night but I get to go to sleep with a sweet and wonderful memory we created together. So this weekend we painted and it was a happy, glorious mess. 

Friday Favorites: Birthday Memories

Happy Friday!

Today I celebrate my 31st birthday.

There are a few birthdays that stand out to me for a plethora of reasons. I don't have pictures from some of them but I can vividly remember lots if details from over the years. I tend to be laid back about my birthday but I love making memories with those I love. I also really like cake (not frosting just the cake) so on my birthday I break my healthy eating and enjoy a little treat which I am looking forward to tonight!

So here are a few of my stand out birthdays.

Favorite Birthday Tradition

The past couple of years my sweet sister always shows up at my house with a treat. It has became a little tradition. I love that she knows me well enough to find that perfect little perk to my day. This year she brought some all natural doughnuts and a potted red gerbera daisy. Last year she showed up with a cupcake from my favorite bakery. I love the special time I get and feel so loved that she caves out time from her day to be with me.

Last year Shane could not keep his hands off my treat! This year I am loving my bring, red, cheery flowers. 

Favorite Childhood Birthday 

My third grade birthday party my mom let me invite some friends over for a traditional Japanese dinner. I invited 4 friends from school and my 35 year old neighbor, Dawn, who came. I was so excited to have her there and that stands out to me as the best childhood memory because I felt so special having a grown up at my party.

Favorite High School Birthday

I grew up in the best neighborhood with lots of kids my age who also attended the same private school I did. For my 18th birthday, several of my friends came and kidnapped me and took me to breakfast in my PJ's...and it snowed that day. 

Favorite Gift

Brian gave me a copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar for my 21st birthday. He said he knew I would use it to help kids and make them happy one day. That book has been read to many a classrooms and now to my own babies. I love how my husband supports me.

On top of the sweet support, inside the book was a pair of tickets to see The Lion King! I love a good theater production and was pretty sold on that guy named Brian that I was dating.

Biggest Birthday Surprise

For my 16th birthday my parents took me to Red Robbin for a family dinner. However, they had invited about 10 of my girlfriends and bought us all dinner. What a surprise!

Favorite Birthday

Last year I turned 30. I had a sweet little 2 year old and a cute 6 week old and Brian got take out. It was perfect!

I am linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals today to share my Friday Birthday Favorites! 

Thankful Thursday: Birthday Buddy

Tomorrow I turn 31 and my favorite thing about my birthday is sharing it with my Grandpa Arch. I am so thankful to have an awesome birthday buddy like my Grandfather. Technically his is on the 7th and I am on the 6th but I always remember blowing out the candles with him as long as we are living close by. I am blessed to have another year with my Grandpa Arch who always has had a special place in my heart. 

New Years Resolution: February Review

Back in January I set one new year's resolution for myself: take better care of myself. You can read all about it here and how I did in January here. Today I am sharing February and the accountability of writing about it each month is good but humbling. This month I can count about three days that one of my boys or myself was not sick. There were doses of antibiotic floating thought this house, a humidifier running in one room or another all month long, and a lot of sleepless nights. However, I did OK on my goal this month even though I did not meet the little sub goals that made up the overall one.

This month I did not read a full book. You might think this is a fail but when you are juggling sick babies and a sick self all the self care I could manage this month was to get extra rest. I started to read The Sacred Romance: Drawing Closer To The Heart Of God and will continue it in March. I was a little hard on myself half way through the month because I saw I would not finish the book.  However, I reminded myself the goal was about self care not reading dozens of books. Reading, working out, date night were three specific ways I could care for myself so I could better care for others. The best way I could do that this month with many sleepless nights was extra rest and a bit of light reading.

Working out 3 times a week took place! I did lots of short yoga videos this month as well as long walks with the boys which worked perfectly even with colds and infections. Both Shane and Keith had croup this month so the cold fresh air was just what their sweet little bodies needed. I am quickly realizing why moms get a double stroller though, because Keith is getting a bit hard to carry in the Ergo. These days I push Shane in the stroller and carry Keith which is hard wor. Whenever I can I let Shane hustle alongside me and Keith rides in the stroller but this summer I may need to figure something else out.

Date night was almost the same as last month with popcorn, wine, and a board game. Brian and I played Ticket to ride and enjoyed some Cinnamon Glazed Popcorn with our wine. With two little ones this is the perfect date night for us but I am happy to say that this month we are changing it up and heading out for my birthday so I will have a different kind of date to share next month!

Here is to a great start to 2015 and a goal of taking 

My Favorite Room

My dining room will never win an award for decorating. I have a simple table made of dark stained mahogany that my Great Grandmother Lois gave us as a wedding gift. A matching mirror on the wall lengthens the room and reflects the bay window from the living room. In the spring the mirror frames a perfect picture of my neighbors garden bursting with peonies blooms and bright marigolds. The crystal chandler is a hand me down from my in laws and about the only fancy aspect to my home. The window overlooks the retention pond and if you sit in the right place you can only see the ancient green pine trees that pierce the sky and not the wire fence enclosing the water. The room is nothing special but the memories made there are. My dining room is my favorite room because of what takes place there.

That old, mahogany, dented table is where my people gather to eat. It's where we come together for lunch each day before daddy heads off to work. It's where my babies have blow out their birthday candles and where we have gobbled down Sunday morning pancakes dripping with maple syrup. The table is where loved ones sit. Those four table legs have held up five layer carrot cakes for Easter dessert after we finished off glazed ham, pickled watermelon rinds, salads, fruit, and roasted potatoes. We have celebrated Thanksgiving with turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, roasted green beans, and stuffing with a pumpkin and apple pie for a holiday treat in that room. When we gather to eat, we also gather to share, to make memories, to pray, to take a moment away from our busy lives and nourish ourselves in both body and soul. I care for my loved ones at table and in that room.

My dining room can easily be transformed into an art studio, a science lab, or a makeshift kitchen. The Brothers have painted and drawn masterpieces on that table. We have made glittery fall leaves and hosted gingerbread decorating parties with friends in the dining room. Shane has rolled pie crust, tossed salads, and spooned muffin batter into tins because the table is just the right height to prep food on. On a rainy day, when Shane is filled to the brim with energy but we are locked inside from the weather, I like doing science experiments with baking soda and vinegar at the table. I have spent countless hours folding paper airplanes there as well. Brian's 30th birthday party boasted 8 different desserts and wines with 12 dear friends circling the table: sampling, savoring, enjoying the treats. The room transforms into whatever I need it to be and for that reason it has grown on me over the 6 years I have lived there.

In my home, a room is made special once it has hosted countless memories. My boys nurseries, my bedroom, my kitchen, the living and family rooms all have harbored treasured moments but of all the rooms the dining room is where the most memories were made. That room is where we eat, create, explore, host, and celebrate. That table could tell a hundred thousand stories of smiles, lessons, tears, letdown, trumps, and realizations. It is because of all the memories that have been made in room that the dining room is my favorite room in my house.

Today I am linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals for her Show and Tell series! 

Hostess Gift Basket

One lesson my mother instilled in me as a child was to show gratitude when invited to someones home by bringing a hostess gift. Be it a bright cheer bouquet of tulips, a batch of cookies, or a bottle of wine there is something gracious and sincere about blessing your hostess for all the work they did to clean, cook, and invite you into their home. Unfortunately, hostess gifts along with thank you cards and or a formal RSVP are going out of style so I strive to do as my mother taught me and bring a hostess gift even if it is a dying fashion. Yesterday we went to our cousin's home for dinner and this was what we brought to show our thanks. 

We dressed a basket with a simple white dish cloth and tied a twine bow on top. They I painted some paper during craft time with Shane and wrote sweets and treats with my favorite pens. I often paint simple designs on paper to use as cards and gift tags because I can be artsy with my son and double my efforts by creating a beautiful little note. FYI this was white construction paper with crayola non toxic paint. It was simple and adds a little cheery pop of color to the basket.

Inside we popcorn plain popcorn stored in a mason jar. I like adding a treat like popcorn that is somewhat healthy because some are diligent about watching their calories or don't care much for sweets. Sometimes I add popcorn, apples, or nuts to put a little healthy spin on a treat. We selected four different beers that were chilled and popped into the basket just before we left. Inside we filled the basked with some sweets by adding PB and chocolate chip cookies and some almond chocolate chip cookies. The kids loved these little cookies and I make them on the small side for toddler hands.

Showing up with a little hostess gift makes such an impression and I love seeing the joy on others faces when you hand them a little treat. Next time you need a little inspiration consider a small gift basket filled with sweets and treats! Other great ideas would be to give some homemade vanilla or a jar of cinnamon glazed popcorn!