some new diy wood signs!

You've seen the wood signs floating about on the internet I am sure these past few months (years?) and I'm finally getting on that band wagon. I found a few businesses that make them that I sure do love but I wanted to make my own. Cost effective and hey! I can have it say whatever it is I want it to say!

As I tend to do I go big or go home so I made three to start with. Matt cut the wood down for me to size, and then I did the base paint color. Once that was dry I used chalk to draw on my saying, which I then painted over with black paint. Once that was all dry I lightly distressed it with sandpaper and then Handy Matty added the stained frame. Wala!

For above the tv in the living room I made this one....

a snow day with cousins!

We woke up on Sunday morning to some snow! Not enough to keep us from our brunch plans, but still enough for the kids to get out there and do what they love! Sled! 

a front stoop update

I told you last week I had a few projects I wanted to share on the blog... and so here we are just moving on to another one! Everything just looks so much prettier with a light coating of snow does it not?

I have these moments where I instantly decide I hate something. This happened once before with some of the lighting in the house and then I'm just done! Over it. It must be changed! This semi-recently (like, in November) happened with our front porch. We had the builder-grade poles that just well were, boring. So Matt and I took to Pinterest and came up with these bigger and better versions, which he built and painted, of course. And what a statement they make!

a master bedroom fireplace update

I'm super excited about this update to our master bedroom. It's not even really done but I just couldn't wait no more! My parents are redoing their formal dining room and in the process of that they tore out their old mantle and offered it to us. I actually had already been plotting a fireplace-type situation addition to our bedroom so the timing could not have been more perfect!

a day in the life

I haven't done one of these in a hot second (July! When it was actually hot!) and so I figured why not?! Someday I'll look back I am quite sure and shake my head at my younger self. It just is what it is. This was last Thursday, as it were.

7:00 am: 

The whole house wakes at 6:45... all but David bounce out of bed rather quickly, especially when Letty hears she doesn’t have to make her bed because it’s “new bed night.” I strip the beds while the kids slowly use the restroom and brush their teeth. Before they head downstairs for breakfast I also do their hair for them and then off they go to their father for all their dietary needs. I forgot to put the clothes in the dryer last night and thankfully that saint of a husband has done that for me this morning. He also takes their lunches I packed yesterday and adds the ice packs and puts them in their backpacks by the door.  I start a load of laundry and get myself a cup of coffee while making sure the kids get their clothes and shoes on (I have everything set out for them the night before so it’s mindless, really) and eat their breakfasts. Matt will drive them to school at 7:20 and then I’m off to the basement for some weights and a run. 

8:00 am:

I’m still in the basement. Today was arm day so I picked some things up and put some things down. I am no professional. After that I jump on the treadmill for about 45 minutes. I’ve been re-watching Downton Abbey and I forgot how awesome that show is!! The fact that it entertains me when I run speaks volumes. Matt has switched the laundry for me too which is a massive help when it comes to the sheets. Dom spends this time either watching something on tv or playing with his iPad. He usually sits at the island though munching on his Second Breakfast while watching Ryan videos. Which I hate but pick your battles. When I’m done running I jump in the shower. That done and ready to go I folded the laundry and got out the kids outfits for the following day, as well as their clean pajamas for tonight. Then I got Dom dressed and did his hair all dapper-like for drop off. 

9:00 am:

It is frigid so we wait in the van until the absolute last possible moment before walking up to the door. We always walk in with his best friend Jaxson and I am lucky if I get a hug before he runs right on in. I rush home to meet my sister because today is my first day with my nephew Harrison! My CPA extraordinary sister is back to work while her eldest is at school. So it’s just Harrison and I for a few hours. He watches me sweep the kitchen floor and run BB8. Then he watches me make a few of the beds and vacuum the room he will be sleeping in. Give the kid a dryer ball and the man is happy. We play a bit before his nap time. 

10:00 am:

Harrison goes down for his nap right after I took this photo. I putter around the house... make another cup of coffee... listen to the sound of my own breathing... big things! 

11:00 am:

I just finished making the other two beds. My sister said to only let Harrison nap about an hour so before I have to wake him I quickly vacuum the other bedrooms and hallway. Then I get him up, change his diaper and head off to get Dom from preschool. Harrison was so cute and cuddly with me and I enjoyed showing him off to the other moms immensely.

12:00 pm:

Home from school and it’s lunch prep time. I get Harrison all buckled in his chair and then prepare his lunch my sister packed. Which he won’t eat but at least he’s happy in the chair watching Dom. I get Dom his lunch which involved a lot of peanut butter and I also gather the bigger kid’s lunches for tomorrow so I can just pop them into their lunchboxes when they get off the bus. Then I eat too!

1:00 pm:

I gave Harrison about half a bag of veggie straws and I’m pretty sure I singled handedly taught him to say thank you... Eventually though I cut him off and the boys and I go to the playroom. I read and play with my phone while watching them interact. These two boys together are like the chillest thing on the planet. Must be Harrison’s calming influence. He goes down for a second nap shortly after this...

2:00 pm:

I’ve been reading while Dom does a little bit of this and a little of that. Matt is working on a project in our bedroom and I just love how it is coming along (as seen below)! And this is where the day starts to get a bit unusual. I have to leave to go get my niece from her preschool because my poor sister threw out her back. Thankfully Matt is home to get the bigger kids when they get off the bus. At which point they will do their homework and then I’ll do my homework, signing reading logs and putting their lunches into the fridge for tomorrow. 

3:00 pm:

I have all kids home safe with me. All five of them. Harrison is still asleep though so he hardly counts. All is set for tomorrow and they are in their post-school coma state. Letty has a play date though so it’s not long before we are running out to pick her friend up. They make a ton of things with those little rubber bands... bracelets? Bouncy balls? My brother-in-law comes and gets his kids and now I’m down to just four. 

4:00 pm:

We have evening plans tonight so I hop on the elliptical while I can, checking in on the girls every so often but they are so deep into craft mode they are fine. The boys are playing in the basement with me, either with their Legos or their new xbox games. After that’s done I jump in the shower and wash my hair. Hallelujah! Clean hair!

5:00 pm:

Play date drop off time! They don't want to part but unfortunately we have to because of the aforementioned evening plans. They are already plotting their next date! As I’m walking out the door to drop her off a friend of ours’s (?) mother arrives with a project for Matt. Revolving door, these parts! Matt figures that out and then preps dinner while I set the table and wrangle the kids. 

6:00 pm:

Dinner is cleaned up fully and each kid has done their evening chores. Rooms are ready, iPad sound machines on, toothbrushes prepped, and clothes and shoes out for tomorrow. We will leave shortly now for Cub Scouts and David’s magic show!

7:00 pm:

We went to the magic show at Scout Hall! It was.... Interesting. There were only two boys doing it and they each had a few tricks.... but it was something to see! I'm proud of David for just proudly doing his tricks... and everyone in the audience was quite nice about them all... Sounds of amazement and lots of clapping. Even though we didn't' get the tricks.... Ha! Dom wanted nothing to do with the place and Letty wanted everything to do with it. I think it has to do with a few kids from her class being Scouts. Ahem.

8:00 pm:

Home from Scouts! I offered to take our friend's daughter home with us so she could play with Letty for a bit and that's just what happened. I bathed Dom and they played with dolls in Letty's room... Dom joined them after and it was quite calm and quiet so I went back downstairs and decided to page through a magazine I got earlier. Then Matt came home and so did the Scouts and there went my calm... It turned into a fun little evening complete with snacks! When they left the older two got showers and then right to bed, we said!

9:00 pm:

Little spoiler alert to our newest project... which is almost done other than some touch ups and some decorating. More on that tomorrow. We have been back to watching tv in bed and we did miss it so during the holiday season! We decided to rewatch The Office which has been quite enjoyable. It's not long though before we fall asleep because man, this day! 

Past day in the life posts here.

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