eat-in kitchen update

Happy Tuesday!

It rained all day yesterday so we ran some errands and I cleaned up after demo on the eat-in floors this weekend! We {the hubs} ran into a few snags so we only got the eat-in done and still have kitchen and beyond left to do...but hopefully {fingers and toes crossed} we WILL get it done this weekend! And, then there will be a floor party and a post with how we did it, issues we ran into and how we solved them, and our sweat and tears!

after demo: before installation!

I'd thought I'd share the update that happened in here! It isn't too much but what did change made a dramatic difference!! I love it!!

 

These floors make the space feel so much larger and lighter! {win, win for me!} If you want the same look check out Lumber Liquidators! We bought enough for the entire main floor and it was TOTALLY affordable!!

 

 

 

this baby got a little rearrange! I am in china cabinet heaven!

And, now the my favorite the before and after:


 

linking up: thrifty decor chick --before and after, Featured Friday

, Open House Party, Life Inspired Link Party 6

living room reveal

So, as you know we {yes, there is a mouse in my pocket...the hubs has been doing ALL the work} have been working extra hard on the flooring and we should be done this weekend, so, be expecting a big reveal next week!!! Too excited!

When we decided to redo the floor I knew I wanted to rearrange and declutter the house. Sometimes I get so use to a space I don't see how it can be moved any other way. And, when I do move it I fall even more in love with my home!

before: not bad just dark and lots of large pieces of furniture

after: more open, bright, and spacious
 

Isn't it totally different? I was fearful about losing seating but quickly  noticed we only lost about 1 seat and we have a rocker in the office that can easily be moved into there when company comes!

 

I love our MUCH smaller and more sleek t.v. stand too!!! It matches the rest of our wood furniture and I'm just smitten over it! A lot less of an eye sore compared to are large black one {which got a paint job and is now in another part of the house!}

 

The simplicity of the mantel is perfect for me. The hubs doesn't usually input on the way I style the house {actually I never does} BUT he has said several times he really like the mantel!  

The "S" I ordered online from Etsy and for the life of me I can not come up with the vendors name {I'll keep thinking!} and, the ball jar I spray painted a while back and put some flowers from my storage room! And, they can be easily changed out for the different seasons!

I got this great rug at Kohl's for free; with a coupon and Kohl's cash {and if you ask my hubs it isn't free because I had to buy the items to get the Kohl's cash! ha..men!}

 

Ahh, I love this space!! So happy and bright!!!

 

Enjoy!

linking up with: No Minimalist Here, Inspired Life link party, Thrifty Decor Chick --before and after, love bakes good cakes, show me what ya got #133, Featured Friday, Life Inspired Link Party 6

cleaning routine

Happy Tuesday!

Today I want to share my quick clean routine. I usually do this 2-3 times per week and then a good clean every other week. Granted, we usually have toys all over, but, I feel that is a good mess and grim is bad mess. By doing this even when I do my "good" clean it only adds an extra 20 minutes or so. When I do a "good" clean I do all the things listed below and I clean the bathtubs, wipe the cabinets down, and go through the papers and coupons that build up!

Main floor
+I pick up all the toys, papers, and whatever else gets piled on the island, desk and table and put it up. {putting it away is the most important piece}
+Then, I put the dishes in dishwasher and wipe the counters and table down.
+Next, I use a good ole' fashion broom and dust pan and sweep up the floor.
+After that, I microfiber mop all the floors with HOT water and white vinegar.
+Usually I clean the slider and all mine floor mirrors next wipe white vinegar and a paper towel.
+I then Clorox wipe the hall bath down and put whatever cleaning solution {usually hand soap} I can in the toilet and give it a swirl.
+Lastly, I use a dry dust rag and just wipe the dust off the media stand and lamps. {we don't have a lot of stuff to dust on the main floor...I try and keep "stuff" to a min. down there}


This process usually takes around 45 minutes to an hour

Then on to the upstairs
+I pick up the loft and our bedroom of toys and put them in the kids' rooms. {Zachary's is the only room I put toys away regularly...big kids do it themselves every night before bedtime routine}
+Next, I wipe down the kids' bathroom with Clorox wipes and clean the toilet as well with whatever I have up there. {usually shampoo:)}
+I run the vacuum in the kids' rooms and the loft {and the stairs every other clean}.
+Then my room {usually takes the longest because of laundry} I clean our room and put laundry away
+Lastly I wipe the bathroom down the same as the other 2

This usually takes about 30 minutes to 45

I usually feel like my house is guest ready or could be in a few minutes because I keep up with the cleaning and TRY to not let it get out of hand! Hope this helps if you are struggling for a easy cleaning routine! How do you keep/get your space "guest" ready? Any tips or suggestions?

 

linking up: Thrifty Decor Chick-- Before and After , Featured Friday, Open House Party

laundry room reveal

Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a fantastic Father's Day weekend, I know we sure did!  I am sharing with you today my FREE, yep you heard that right, free laundry room update! {sorry for the blogging vacation...I have had several post ready but no pictures and kept getting sidetracked while working on them!}

With this room being extremely tiny and having no natural light I knew I wanted it to be a light color along with accents of turquois, red, natural, and green that I've been adding to my spaces slowly...and since the budget didn't call for a big, fancy makeover I went to my paint selection on hand! I noticed the only color I'd have enough to finish the space was white {I was a little hesitant to use white but I went for it}

I know it isn't perfect but I love that I repurposed or created everything in the space!

The small space feels much brighter, bigger, and more inviting {if a laundry room can be inviting!} Whatcha think?

The sunburst are my new favorite thing! I love the natural and turquois in them and it give a little punch off the wall!

 The key holder is perfect since the laundry room is right next to the garage {won't find me searching for my keys as we are running out of the house, okay, maybe sometimes you will}

linked up with Seasons of Homemakers, Nifty Thrifty, Keeping it Simple Crafts

our dog Duke

Meet our dog Duke

cute right?!?!

Well, let me tell you about this business, we said we would N.E.V.E.R. get a PUPPY for 2 reasons: 1) potty training 2) chewing and, guess what Duke is 2 months old and NOT potty trained and is trying to CHEW on EVERYTHING!!!

We casually walked into a pet store to just LOOK at the puppies on our date and an hour and a half later we walk out with our adorable pure breed chocolate lab. Duke is super cute, cuddly and huge! 2 and half months and already eating 2 cups of food a day! LORD HELP US!!!

The hubs has 'always' dreamed of a chocolate lab and we seem to never find the right one; when he saw Duke his heart was sold and soooo was our pocket book! The reasonable side of me was like 'girl, you do NOT need another dog let alone a puppy, YOU'LL be the one potty training, getting up at night, and feeding him' the husband pleasing side of me was like 'oh gosh, look how cute the hubs is with him, he is a GREAT Father's day present, it's what he's always wanted go ahead, say yes' obviously the hubs pleasing side one!

 

So, join me as I train my toddler and the puppy to use the appropriate area to potty, teach then not to chew/bite things, and to listen!

art wall

Art doesn't have to be perfect, in the lines, or even a picture.

It can be a sweet note, scribbles on lined paper, or a weekend project that the kiddos put their heart and soul into! I noticed my fridge was getting a little cluttered so I searched Pinterest high and low looking for inspiration for how to display my art and where.

These are some of the inspirations I came across!

Source

Source

I decided I wanted it to be fun, bright, and changeable. So, I trekked to the basement and dug out all those old frames{you know the ones with cracked glass you save because you never know, or the ones with dust growing on them} and found all my paint and got busy painting! I also painted some clothes pins for super easy changeability! I hung all the art with 3-M {best thing EVER!}for 2 reasons I didn't have to put holes in the walls and if I have to change the arrangement when bigger art work comes in it would be easy as pie mmmm pie.

 When I was hanging it I noticed it needed a little something, something so then I started looking around on Etsy for some corky (and cheap) decor, hence the owl and butterflies! By adding old art the was in the basements' "maybe someday I'll reuse this" pile it gave it more of an eclectic look and reduced the pile! Creating tissue paper flowers was something Caleb and I did one snowy afternoon and it was the perfect touch to the wall! (gotta add some girl every now and then!)

I also added a few "S" letters:) The blue one we painted and the red chevron I got from here.

So, there you have it! My favorite wall in the ENTIRE house!!! I simply love our wall! I smile every time I walk by it! YAY for happy vibes!!!



 

 

 

linked up at House of Rose

 

 

welcome home

Welcome, don't forget to take your shoes off at the door:)

My home is lived in, comfy, and usually has toys scattered up and down the stairs. It is, by no stretch of the imagination a show home, elegantly decorated, or even 'guest' ready, but, it is filled with love and "mom". I pray nothing ever happens to me ,but, if something did I want my kids to still feel my presence in each corner of the house. Most every room has something I created, repurposed, or put my love into. It is by far my favorite place on earth. My family is here and we are creating so many family memories here!

When your walk into the door to the right is our "formal" dining room, but, lets face it we are not formal people so we have no need for it. So, we turned this space into a play room/office and I love it! Many days the kids bring their bean bags down and read books while I work on bills or paperwork. I love how this room functions as more living space and we utilize it every day, unlike, if it was a dining room and we only used it 3 times a year.

 

 Our hall is filled with pictures of my boys as they are growing!

 

Down the hall is our family room, eat-in, and kitchen. This rectangle is the heart of the home. We spend most of our days playing with toys, watching T.V., and crafting in here.  My goal for this space to be comfy, warm, and a bit eclectic.

 

 (Di1sclaimer: we have full intentions of staining the T.V. stand and fish tank the same awesome cherry color our toy chest is...just not today)

As you go up the stairs you'll notice my favorite wall in the entire house THE ART WALL. It is so happy and cheerful and full of imagination. The kids love to create masterpieces to go on here! Love it!

The hubs office is in our loft area but we have plans to eventually turn this into a fun hangout for the boys.

sorry for the TERRIBLE lighting...13 inches of snow make for a heck of a glare!!!

Caleb definitely has the pre teen feel to his room and isn't fond of Mom decorating it. He would rather do it himself. He truly his coming into his own style and personality. Proud Mommy alert :)

I want our master bedroom to feel like a relaxing oasis, an escape from the long day, and a calm haven. I am slowly turning it into that. I've added touches a blues, lavenders, and warm yellows.

Gabriel is all about cars and dinosaurs so I knew I wanted his room to be fun and colorful. His favorite color is green so there was no other option but his room to be green! (a. a little bright for my personal liking but he adores it and b. he isn't going to have that huge TV in there forever we are going to be purchasing him a smaller one soon! His brothers are uber jealous!)

Oh, goodness, Zachary's room is full of roars and toys! When asking Zachary what he wanted in his new 'big boy room' he said boo and roar. I am still searching Pinterest and Etsy for art but I think it is coming along quite well!

So, there it is my favorite place on earth, my home! I hope you felt warm and welcomed as your read my post.