My husband and I purchased our home 2 years ago. It was called a "Hud home" and was owned by the government. Kind of like a foreclosure! The house needed alot of work before we could move in. It was a 4 bedroom home when we bought it. While doing renovations we decided to combine 2 rooms and have a huge master suite. I was pregnant at the time with Asher. How perfect, one room for us, one room for Asher, and a room for my office downstairs. It was perfect. Asher was to be an only child.
Fast forward to present time and we are expecting our second child. Not a perfect situation. Once we found out I was pregnant I was so bent out of shape about the bedroom situation. I literally drew up 3 plans of putting the wall back up and giving this little girl her own room! Asher's bedroom is very tiny. He is only 20 months, loves his crib, and there is no way I could have him in the office. Our house is kind of like a Bi-Level. From our dining room you go down 5 steps and our laundry room, living room, 1/2 bath , and office is there. Along with a door to go into the backyard. I feel Asher is no way old enough to be in the office all by himself while we are upstairs. After finally regrouping, taking measurements, and really getting a game plan together. I have decided that they can share Asher's room! We have a huge playroom off the living room that is for the most part our entire basement. All the kids literally will do it sleep in their room. Asher will be able to move into the office once he is older and wants his own room. So this lead me to project kids room! This room is getting a major overhaul! We started with the closet first, which is what I am going to share with you guys today. I am awaiting some wall decals and we will be setting up Asher's big boy bed within the week. Closet dimensions: 82" Height 55" Wide I was able to reuse the shelf and one of the white cabinets we already had. Which really helps save money. Supplies: Shelf (already had) 2 white cubby cabinets (purchased at home de pot, roughly $34 each) 6ft rod (purchased at home de pot, roughly $10) Mounting brackets ( purchased at home de pot, roughly $3 each) First I had to repaint the closet because I originally painted the closet green. Now it is white! Once everything was dry we stacked the cabinets on top of each other. We then secured them to the wall so they could not fall if the kids tried to climb them! Then I measured out and cut the rod to make 4 clothing racks! Unfortunately I forgot to take a before photo! But believe me, the old closet looked nothing like this!
I am so proud of the kids closet! We had to remove the dresser because the bedroom is so small. We now have all the space we need and were able to put all the items from the dresser in the closet!
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I am so giddy to share these snack boxes with you guys! I am all about convenience! I am all about being prepared. And lastly if it's not in front of my husbands face, well then it doesn't exist. So what did I do, I created a snack box! All we do is grab the box and throw it in our lunch. Also these are great for me while being pregnant. We are an on the go family. Now I just grab a box and head out the door and can eat in the car! I love that these are not filled with junk food and my kiddo can share with me!
Ingredients: Cheese slices Pepperoni slices Grapes Almonds Directions:
My goal this time around for this pregnancy is to be as prepared as possible! Not only were my husband and I first time, sleep deprived parents, but also very unprepared. We thought we were prepared. There are a lot of things people leave out when discussing pregnancy , child birth, and once baby as arrived. Since we have been through this once, I feel I have a better game plan and can prepare alot better! We are the family that everything unexpected does happen to, so I am accounting for all of those possibilities as well.
One of the most frusterating things was that we seemed to run out of everything. I'm talking EVERYTHING. My husband was constantly running to the store at 11pm, 1am, 3am for the most random things! This time around I hope to alleviate all of that unnecessary running. Jan 2nd this year we woke up to a pipe that had burst in our house. It has been quite the experience but we are staying positive and alot of good has actually come out of it! Three rooms were ruined with water, which included, living room, playroom, and our storage room. We are still in the middle of renovations but they are wrapping up fairly quick! With the storage room being destroyed I am now able to actually make it a functioning storage room. I have plans of getting shelving so I have a place to put all of my stockpile! This room is going to be packed with all of the essentials and labeled. So instead of going to Giant at 1am, my husband can walk to the basement and grab what is needed! I do plan to post pictures once it is complete! Back to my list! This is a list that I have come up with of things that we use alot of, run out of frequently, or just easy convinence to have on hand. My goal is that for the first 3 months after baby girl is here is that we do not have to run to the store, except for things that you cant stockpile. Examples: milk, creamer, eggs, bread. I only want my husband to have to run maybe once a week for those items. I plan to be doing most of my stockpile shopping at Costco, Target, & Giant. Bathroom:
Update: I have added photos of my stockpile! The only thing not pictured is all my laundry detergent & softener because I keep that above my washer and dryer.
I make a lot of trail mixes for Asher. It gives him a variety for snack. Honestly when it is pre prepped in the baggie in the cabinet, it is just so much easier to grab and throw into the diaper bag. Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner I figured I would call this one Valentine Trail mix. Especially since I added a lot of pink and red to the mix. I wouldn't consider this just a toddler trail mix. I am really enjoying it as well!
Ingredients: 1 Cup Craizins 1 Cup Pretzels 1 Cup Valentine M&Ms 1 Cup Vanilla Graham Goldfish Directions: Mix them all together and portion out evenly in snack baggies
So these stemmed from my Peanut Butter cheerio bites. Asher loved them! So I tried a new kind today. I also used the same recipe and did the peanut butter ones as well. This time I made them into bars in hopes they might stay together better for Asher to hold! These were super quick and easy. These are ingredients I always have at hand in our house.
I use peanut butter a lot for Asher when he goes on his strikes of not eating. At least he is getting some source of protein? Am I right? A mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do! I hope your kiddos enjoy these as much as mine do! Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars: Ingredients: 1 Cup Chocolate Chips 1/2 Cup Peanut Butter 1 tsp Butter 3 Cups Multigrain Cheerios Directions:
Ingredients: 1/2 Cup Peanut butter 1/4 Cup Honey 1 tsp Vanilla 2 Cups Cheerios Directions:
Hands in the air if your mornings are hectic! Especially if you mom, running around trying to get everyone ready including yourself! Meal prep in this household has been a life saver. Not only are we eating healthier but also saving money. Not as many gas station/ sheetz runs for lunch. Every Sunday I take the time to meal prep and it pays off throughout the week. Here is what I made this Sunday:
Breakfast: Bacon & Cheddar Quiche: Also check out my Breakfast Sandwiches Meal Prep if you are not a fan of Quiche
Ingredients:
4 Eggs 1 Cup Milk Salt & Pepper 1 tsp Onion Powder 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar 1 Cup Shredded Swiss 1/2 Cup Bacon (cooked): Also can substitute for diced Ham 1 Pie Crust Directions:
Celery & Peanut Butter:
Cobb Salad: Ingredients: Lettuce ( I go to Costco and buy the bag of 6 Romaine lettuce stalks. It's only approximate $5.99) Shredded Carrots Shredded Cheddar Hard boiled Eggs Bacon (cooked) Ranch Dressing Toppings Directions:
When I was in elementary school I didn't hand out your typical card Valentine. Instead my mom would make rice krispy treats shaped into hearts. She would hand write everyone's name on them. I used to love helping her make these.
Well I am no longer in school. I am a mom now. Although my little one is not in school yet, I can still start a tradition with him. And our little girl once she is here! This was my first time making these on my own. I am pretty pleased with the outcome! My mom was a cake baker/ decorator for years. Her handwriting is by far better than mine. I hope to improve over the years of making treats for my kiddos! Ingredients: 3 TBSP butter 1 package Marshmallows (10oz) 6 cups rice krispies Icing: 1 1/2 sticks of butter 1 tsp vanilla approximate 2 cups of confectionate sugar food coloring Directions: Melt 3 TBSP butter & marshmallows in a saucepan over medium heat. Once all is melted turn off heat and add rice krispies Place rice krispies on parchment paper and use a spatula to evenly flatten them. Use heart cookie cutter to cut out shapes Make your icing, add food coloring to make pink & red, add designs/names to your rice krispies! I feel like during this pregnancy I will have a lot to talk about. This pregnancy is already so much different than with Asher. I seem to have more worry's than before. I guess it is because I like to plan things. I like to already know what is going to happen and have a plan. So when something unexpected happens, I seem to have a difficult time adapting at first.
One thing I am so grateful for this time is my amazing friends. I have an amazing family as well but sometimes you just need your friends and someone to vent to. When I found out I was pregnant with Asher we were overjoyed and so excited. Once we announced and stopped going out on the weekends things started to change with friendships. Like they say "have a baby and see how many of your friends are still around." Since Adam and I were no longer going out, we didn't see too many of our friends except for a few. When Asher arrived we were overjoyed with all the love from our friends and family and all the visitors, calls, and texts. We had a lot of visitors in the hospital and also at home. I had a few friends that would come to visit on a regular basis when we were home. The first few weeks I felt alone. I had family but this whole adjusting period to being a mom and not speaking to half the friends I used to was difficult. My conversations now revolved around baby and sleep. There was a huge turning point after those first few weeks. I'm not sure how it happened but it really happened at the perfect time. One of my good friends from high school reached out to me and suggested we get together. From the day she came to visit with little Asher we reconnected our friendship and she has been such a life saver in my life! She started getting me out of the house a few times a week and made me go out to do things. I wanted to stay coped up in the house and didn't think it was possible to be in public with an infant. Her and I started going for walks regularly and doing a lot together. She was my rock and I relied on her for so much. I would call her panicking if Asher even coughed. I used to call her bawling my eyes out because I just couldn't get my shit together. Her and her family are still very close with us! As I sat on my bathroom floor bawling my eyes out that I was pregnant again, she was calling me overjoyed and telling me everything will be okay! Her and I can relate on so much and are a lot alike. There is another very close friend of mine that I couldn't imagine not having her in my life. Kind of funny we are as close as we are. The first time I ever met her was at a bar. She has known my husband for years actually. When we would go out I would see her out and have a drink with her. We never really talked other than that. We ended up being pregnant at the same time so through facebook we would connect and chat a little, like each others posts, ya know small stuff. Once both our babies were born we continued our friendship on facebook. We have a mutual friend that also has a little one around our kiddos age. Us 3 started having play dates on a regular basis. From then on we just clicked! We literally do everything together. She is my bestie that I do all our trips and activities with that I share on this blog. Her and I are different but kind of the same. I think that is what makes us click so well. She has really gotten me out of the house and showed me you just do it! We travel everywhere together! I love that when one of our kids is being a handful the other will step in right away to help. We know when each other is at our breaking point and help diffuse the situation. She is always there for a shoulder to cry on and vise versa. Asher also has a Godmother that is very active in his life. She does not have children of her own but she is amazing with Asher. We don't always get to see her, but she checks in frequently. I also have my best friend from middle school. Our schedules never line but I do talk to her on the daily. She is still always a phone call away and the time we do spend with her I cherish. I am fortunate for all my new friends that have come into my life and even the ones that I have currently just connected with. Even though some of my friends do not have kids, they try to understand and don't mind that I can't always be kid less! Like one of my newest friends! She is so dear to me as well. She currently does not have children, but wishes for her own one day. We have vent/rant sessions. These really help me get back to real life and move on from the situation. She has anxiety like I do so we can relate so well when certain situations arise. We are both very organized people. Her more than me. She is keeping me sane through this pregnancy and helping me literally reorganize my whole house! And yes, we do this for fun! These are the type of friends one needs to have in their lives I may not have as many friends as I once did but the ones I have are very dear to me. I couldn't imagine doing life without any of them. I know this time I won't have that "alone" period. They won't let me! I know I will have so many to reach out to when I need to cry or vent and they won't turn me away because they understand!
It's that time for the "holiday" crafts! My bestie, the kiddos, and I made these last night! I am so excited for this weekend. We are making the kiddos Valentine Treats. I will share those after we make them.
Supplies: Paint Cling Wrap Tape Puffy Paint Canvas Directions: Love- Tape out the letters on a canvas. Add blobs of paint all over the canvas. Cover in saran wrap. Tape down corners on the back. Let toddler enjoy mess free finger painting! Asher loves to be messy! This is great for him because he is "making a mess" but at the same time he is not, which is great for me! Feet- Paint your toddlers feet. Place them on the canvas in a heart shape. Use puffy paint to write Happy Valentine's Day and the hearts |
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February 2021
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