Nesting.

Maybe it was a mistake, but in an attempt to make sure that my older two kids felt important and loved I promised them both redecorated bedrooms...in addition to decorating the nursery for Baby Alice.  When I made the promise I truly felt like I had all the time in the world...and loads of energy.

It's taken me six months but I'm finally starting to get some momentum going for these projects...and their rooms are looking up.

I'm in the midst of some DIY projects for Soleil's room that I hope to show photos of soon...we're going from a beautiful soft shade of pink to a rather harsh "pool blue".  It hurts me a little to replace all of the darling Shabby Chic things with "sporty girl" stuff but I'm doing it cuz I love her so darn much.  And, besides, I can still have my way with Alice's room...:)

And, while I was originally pretty depressed about my $0 budget for these projects, it has turned out to be kind of a fun challenge.  

I can't wait to show you everything.

Season Opener

The canning season is officially here!

 As you can see from the photo the kids took, I'm pretty darn excited...

Since Vidalia onions are in season I decided to start off canning one of my favorites from last year...

Pickled Sweet Onions.

Which, if you haven't tried them, are pretty fantastic on just about everything from hot dogs and burgers to grilled cheese sandwiches.  

And sometimes, I like to eat them all by themselves, straight out of the jar!

I'm not sure how long the canning season is going to last for me this year...Baby Alice might just cut it a little short...so I'm determined to make the most out of the early months.

There is something so rewarding about seeing all of the glass jars filled with colorful seasonal fruits and vegetables lined up all in a row.

I love it.

It's beginning to look like spring...inside.

The kids and I are carefully tending to our little seedlings in hopes of a bounty of flowers.

It always amazes me how quickly these little things sprout with the help of the "greenhouse". 

We planted Zinnia's, Bachelor Buttons, and two other things that I can't remember right now.

It's so rewarding to start from seeds, isn't it?

Where have I been?

It's been a busy month, and I think I've been a little tired.  

During this pregnancy I've really tried to prioritize and not waste my energy on "non-essentials".  

Unfortunately, that seems to mean blogging has been forced into the backseat.

But here's a quick recap of our last month...

1.  Corey painted Shore's room and scraped all the popcorn off of the ceiling...it looks beautiful!

2.  Shore also got some great khaki insulated curtains added to his room...they block out light and keep his room warmer on cold days and cooler on hot ones.

3.  Shore felt like he need to add something to his "new" room so he repainted his giant rock/doorstop to match his new decor direction :)

4.  We made a road trip to Clay City, Kansas for Corey's grandfather's 90th birthday.  It was a long drive but the kids were superstars...and the family time was precious.

5.  Baby Alice has grown and so have I...I'll have to get the kids to take a belly shot soon.  Phew, I'm feeling big!  Just 3 months to go!

I haven't done anything remotely crafty and poor Alice doesn't have a nursery yet. 

Maybe this month? Next?

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

or maybe I just need another nap.

All things birthday

We're recovering from our first overnight birthday party. 

Nine 9 year olds from 4pm-10am...and we survived!

Actually it was loads of fun and I think my favorite nine year old had a fantastic time.

As a mom, there are few things as pride-inducing as seeing your child choose and interact with nice friends.

And all eight of her friends were delightful and courteous and very kind.

Here are a few photos from the big bash:

It was a Harry Potter themed party...so I made a few things...

Before we went bowling, Soleil chose to take her friends to dinner at Subway:

*Does anyone know how to upload a video without putting it on YouTube?  I have an adorable video of the girls singing "happy birthday" but I don't know how to show it to you.

That was our fun-filled weekend, how was yours?

When is cheap okay?

I grew up with a mother that lived by the motto, "more is more".  

That nearly always translated into, "quantity not quality".

When I was a teenager and then into my "spend like crazy and worry about it later" early twenties I purposely defied these rules and bought only the very best my credit card could accommodate.

Since then I've become a bit more real.

And while I still would always choose fewer nice things over quantity, I can now appreciate the need to buy less than the best.

Lately I've been thinking about things that you can get away with going cheap on...and things you can't.

For instance, I would never recommend buying off brand Q-tips

masking tape, toilet paper, 

laundry detergent, peanut butter, 

bar soap or glass cleaner...

But store brand kitchen garbage bags meet our needs...

and my kids don't seem to notice a difference when I buy the no-name fruit snacks.

A few other things on my "okay to go cheap" list would probably be liquid hand soap, 

pudding mix, body lotion, 

snacks in bulk for the classroom, 

jelly and, (don't crucify me for this one), milk.

What things would be on your lists?

here's to you, my sweet girl...

Today is my sweet Soleil's 9th birthday.

I can hardly believe that I've been mothering that long.

The day she was born certainly changed my everything...forever.

As a tribute to her, and as a memory aide, I thought I'd list some things about my daughter:

1.  For her birthday dinner she chose pizza and french fries.

2.  She adores rootbeer but is only permitted to have it on special occasions.

3.  She describes herself as a "sporty girl".

4.  She has proven time and time again that she can be successful at anything she commits herself to.

5.  Taylor Swift is her favorite musician.

6.  Her favorite color is "electric blue".

7.  She gets the hiccups when she laughs too hard.

8.  Her dream vacation would be a trip to California.

9.  She makes friends nearly instantly.

10.  Science is her favorite subject at school.

11.  Her big blue eyes have had the power to melt her father and me since the day she was born.

12.  She has the kindest, most sensitive heart.

I love you, Soleil!

Happy Birthday from your proud Mama!