Shhhh...

If you are really, really quiet you'll be able to hear it.

Do you hear it?  

It's the sound of every rug, every sheet, every towel and every.single.stitch.of.clothing CLEAN at my house.  

This glorious sound should last for about 15 more minutes or when I go to get my jammies on. Sigh.

Bird Birthday Sneak Peak!

 I decided to go with a bird theme for Lauren's birthday.  My amazingly talented friend, Natalie, made the invitations for me. I asked her the other night and they were ready by the next morning!   Didn't they turn out just precious?  I love them and it saved me a lot of stress and time.  Which makes me love them even more!

 

We went to Hobby Lobby this morning to pick up a few things for her party.  You'll have to wait and see what I have in mind for the flowers.  Normally I think these silk flowers are ugly but they will be adorable when I get done with them!  Just wait and see!

Thanks for all your cute ideas!

Birthday Decisions

February is my CRAZIEST month of the year.  I have Lauren's and Greg's birthday parties, my dad's birthday, a Valentines' Party with Dan's side of the family, class Valentine's parties, and now I am in charge of the Scout's Blue and Gold dinner.  Ta-DA!!

Greg has moved himself securely into the favorite child position by asking for the same exact pirate party Graham had (which means I already have all the decorations, I just need to make the cake!) 

But I am having trouble deciding on a theme for Lauren's (albiet very small) party.  I had one I was going to go with but I would rather save that for when she is older and has a "friend" party.

Anyone have any cute ideas?

All I Want for Valentine's Day is...

A new front tooth!

Graham woke up in the middle of the night to find his front tooth had fallen out!  I'm really surprised that he didn't swallow it.

The tooth fairy comes tonight...she usually leaves him 2 $1.00 coins and there is always mysterious glitter on his pillowcase and the windowsill....

What's the going rate for a tooth at your house?

A Happy List

This is great timing since I always feel like I need an extra boost of "happy" in January....

One of my daily reads (she has such a cute name and I love all her daily quotes) Randall at Be Happy for This Moment passed this on to me..

1. List 10 things that make you happy.
2. Tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day.
3. If you are one of the 10 bloggers awarded, link back to my blog and continue brightening people's day!
   

 10 things that make me happy:

1. Finding money I forgot about stashed in my drawer/jeans/etc.
   
2. Having my toenails painted pink.
   
3. Feeling the sun hot on my skin (with a pool nearby!)
   
4. French toast.
   
5. Deciding to start a new project.
   
6. New songs on my ipod.
   
7. A really good hair day.
   
8. When my kids crawl into my bed to snuggle with me in the morning.
   
9. Looking at model houses and dreaming.
   
10. When I'm walking with Dan and he reaches for my hand.
    

There are so many blogs that brighten my day, join in if you'd like, I'd love see see what is making you all happy these days!

Thanks Randall!

Kids Bathroom Remodel

 I decided to re-do the kids bathroom.  If you are wondering why LuLu looks about 14 months here it's because this is when I started the project - last APRIL.  

There are some really cool girls, like Chris, that can start and finish a project in a day.  I'm more of a "love to plan it and procrastinate finishing it" sort of girl.  That and I painted this room twice.

  

LuLu doing a jig.  This is because she has yet to find out she has to share a bathroom with two boys.  And we all know, boys are gross.

I first painted the room a really great white.  It was such a great white that it made all the fixtures look dirty gray with a "collage rental apartment" feel.  I've lived in college dorms, I put in my time. So it was not what I was gong for.

THE AFTER

 Ta-da!!  The brightest room in the house!  Light aqua on the walls, fun fluffy orange on the rugs!  

Gender friendly for all!

 Cute little toothpaste cup.  Little beach umbrella action.  Just noticed LuLu has been chewing on her toothbrush.  She has about 10 of them that she carries around the house with her. Sometimes I put an action figure in the chair.  If the boys tell me they've brushed their teeth and I think they are lying I'll ask them...

"Who's in the beach chair?"  

"No, Greg, it's not Darth Vader - hello, it was R2.  Now march yourself back upstairs to brush." 

Such a mean mom.

 

Cute glassy hooks I found at HomeGoods for $5.00

Still need towel hooks.  Glass ones to match the shower curtain ones.  That no one seems to make.  So we might have to come up with a plan B.

Also need a cabinet up here.  Might do something else fun, not sure what.  I'll take a picture of Lauren and Greg standing next to it when it's done - they should be 12 and 15 by then!

The Bachelor: See Ya Rozlyn!

Who else is watching this show that will admit it?  

 What did you think about that whole mess with Rozlyn?  She seemed shifty from the get go.  I don't think she cared WHO she hooked up with, as long it furthered her agenda.  And I was embarrassed for her that she kept falling out of her dress! 

I am loving Ali.  She just seems so down to earth and sweet.  I like Elizabeth too, but thought it was weird that she had to read the whole "don't kiss me" thing TO him.  Just say it!

The Bachelor/Bachelorette is one of my favorite shows.  Combine this with American Idol tonight and I am one happy girl! 

Dear January,

I like you.  I truly do.  You are a month of not so much on the calendar, fresh starts, and a house clear of clutter.  You are when I get to stop saying "Do you need me to call Santa?" as an idle threat.  That alone to me is priceless. 

  But you are COLD.  My Southern California toes prefer flip flops.  All this wearing of shoes, tromping through icy parking lots and feeling like I need to wear socks in the house is killing me. 

Model Home Stalker

 I am somewhat obsessed with houses.  I LOVE them.  I especially love looking at model homes.  I pushed and dragged talked my mom into going to look at a few with me the other day.  Seeing a clean, nicely decorated home always gets me in the mood to get going with a bit more "umph" on my own!

I could use a new bedroom set.  

(No, really, I could, we are using my Ethan Allen dressers from when I was 12 in our master bedroom.) 

This bed frame would work perfect in our way too small room.   

 Pretty tile work on the tub.  I could add this easily to my house for not too much money.   Love those kind of ideas!

 Funky, fun frame.  Great for a basement that needed some light bounced around.  (I hope you are appreciating my Interior Decorator technical wording here.)
 

Great mirrored dresser/nightstand makes the room look so elegant.  I love this room!  Throw two kids into that bed at 4 a.m. and a few piles of laundry and I could feel right at home!

I am thinking Grahamie needs an "older boy" room so I've started to look around.  I thought this quilt was cool with the striped curtains.  Although to be honest I should just start with not calling him "Grahamie" anymore in public.  I'll work on that.

That is one huge piece of fabric over a frame on that wall! Two yards of something beautiful and a staple gun and you are as good as DONE!  A great budget friendly idea!

If you are REALLY into houses like me you should go say hi to Julia over at Hooked on Houses.  

It's one of my most favorite blog finds of all time!

Vroom, Cough, Cough, Ka-put

My 1996 Toyota Corolla is dying. 

We paid $89 this morning to find that out.  (We totally already knew, but now we know for sure.)

She might have one month to live, or 12. 

Poor little thing, she's been a good car.  She just got tired of driving downtown everyday.  I don't think Dan's financial and computer geek speed cd's helped her either. I don't blame her, she was more of a Backstreet Boys and Beyonce kind of car. 

I would throw in the towel too.

I just didn't want to start the New Year off with another car payment.

Booo!

I've Got a New Blog!

I've started a new little blog on my freakishly weird new habit of finding deals and couponing.  Nothing like a new project for the new year!

Hope you'll stop by and visit me!

Babe With A Budget

Back to Normal

 

Tomorrow the boys go back to school.  That means things are back to "normal."  Or whatever normal looks like when a girl doesn't have her planner yet.  (Breathe, breathe, do NOT panic!)  Hoping it gets here by Wednesday.  Cross your fingers for me.

But since I am not lazing every day away and have to go back to my budgeted life, this means no more of my favorite Salted Carmel Hot Chocolates from Starbucks (ok, Signature Toffee or whatever they call it now)

 This means no more free child labor.  We spent about three hours in the basement Friday cleaning things up.  I think Dan has stopped working so much down there since he was overwhelmed with the mess.  Now it's looking good and I'll lock him down there (um, I mean encourage him to go down there) every night possible to work!

And no more of these - let me introduce you to Mr. Frosty.  The boys built him yesterday.  He should be in my front yard until at least March I'm guessing!

I'm sort of glad to get back on schedule but a bit sad too.  We've had a great Christmas break - a bit a fun and a whole lot of nothing. Life is good.

Happy New Year!

Everywhere in bloggy land I am reading the same old thing..."I don't make resolutions."  Why not?  What's wrong with thinking of a goal or two to accomplish?  I can see where a list of 20 might start to seem overwhelming but I can certainly improve and change a few things here or there.  

What better time to do it than January 4th?  (What?  You thought I would start my diet back up on a FRIDAY? Please, let's not be foolish, there are Petite Fours in the house.)