day five...

It is actually day six now, because I didn't fit in a blog entry last night. But Jay and I did do something last night that has rarely never been done before. We took four kids (none of which had naps) to the mall around dinner time to window shop for Thanksgiving stuff. We put Declan and Finlay (the little ones) in the double stroller while Ava and Emerson (the big ones) walked. We took them in Crate & Barrel and Williams-Sonoma and nothing got broken, no one threw themselves on the ground, no one even cried. We got them pretzels and a frozen lemonade and I got myself a peppermint mocha (I have spent $19.32 at Starbucks so far this week, for those of you keeping track) and we walked around as a happy little big family. We even went in the Sony store and watched the 3-D TV that my husband is trying to convince me we need. We grabbed a pizza and a bottle of red wine on the way home and put the kids to bed and had a nice quiet little evening, basking in our parental accomplishment of taking all of our children out in public at the same time and no one getting hurt.

day four...

I thought I should provide proof that I did indeed get my bed made today. So there it is! While I was up there I also got 4 loads of laundry folded and put away and I put the finishing touches on my sitting room-turned dressing room. This room off of our master bedroom has been a number of things since we moved in, mostly because we weren't exactly sure what to do with it. It's been an office, a sitting room, and a make-shift nursery. Now, it is a dressing room and it might be my new favorite space in the house. My husband got me the parsons vanity table from West Elm for our anniversary last month and that kind of set the room in motion. We bought a big floor length mirror from IKEA for the corner for $99. The little black dresser I found at an antique store for $45. The two long shelves are from IKEA and the set of three small shelves are from Target. The upholstered chair I randomly stumbled upon at Pier 1, along with the fluffy floor pouf. The charcoal and teal floor cushions and the gray two tier table are from Urban Outfitters. The various hooks and jewelry holders around the room are from Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters.It was fun to decorate a space in the house that I didn't have to worry about being too girly. I think my favorite part is the floor cushions. I remember as a kid, always wanting to watch my mom put on her makeup and so I really wanted a place the kids could lay around and hang out while I got ready. I also love having all my jewelry out where I can see it. I think it's going to help inspire me not to leave the house in my yoga pants.

Here are some pictures:

day three...

My list-related accomplishments today are laughable. Instead, I chaperoned Ava's 1st grade field trip to the zoo. There's nothing like a day with six-year-olds to help you not take life or yourself too seriously. They skipped everywhere instead of walking. They screamed with joy when the school bus went over a speed bump. Their enthusiasm was contagious. Their biggest worry was whether or not they were going to have time to ride the carousel before it was time to get back on the bus. (Don't worry, they did!) I'm not giving up on my list or my pursuit to be a better, less-stressed, more organized mom, but it is nice to gain a little perspective and realize that sometimes it's the little things in life that are important. I don't need to beat myself up because I didn't make my bed or clean anything today. Will my daughter look back on today and think I really wish my mom had cleaned out the garage? No. Will she remember spending the day with me at the zoo? Maybe. Will I smile the next time I go over a speed bump? Absolutely!

day two

Perhaps I was a wee bit ambitious when I started my 30 day challenge. Maybe I should have started out by trying something simpler, like taking a multi-vitamin every day for the next thirty days. Or picked one thing on my list to tackle each day. Like one day, I'd try to get the bed made. The next day, maybe attempt the gym. So, lets get out of the way, the things that did not happen today. I did not make my bed. I did not go to the gym. I did not do any laundry. I did not clean out any attics or garages. But you know what? I had a good day! I cleaned out my office. I got to watch Gossip Girl during naptime. I drank 6 glasses of water. I was on time to pick up Ava from school. I got dinner on the table and we ate as a family. I read a book to the kids before bedtime. I voted. I got my first peppermint mocha of the season. Clothes are laid out and lunches are packed. I washed my face and I fit in a blog entry. I'm getting better!!!

day one..

Well, I will say this, it could have gone better. The morning started out very promising. I woke up and got dressed (not in workout clothes) and did my make-up in my almost-finished dressing room. I got everyone up and dressed and out the door and dropped off my daughter, Emerson only six minutes late for school. Everyone else was late too though, so it doesn't count. I headed to the Target, not for my usual coffee and meandering, but on a mission for construction paper and stickers for the Girl Scout meeting I had to run this afternoon. Once inside, I held strong and avoided the Starbucks. But then I got sucked in and bought 2 pairs of leggings for myself, 3 pairs of footie pajamas, 3 pairs of knee-highs, a nonstick loaf pan, and Christmas gift tags. When I got half way home, I realized I didn't buy enough construction paper and the nine dollars I spent in stickers never made it in the bag. Awesome! Now off to the Michael's, where I buy more stickers, more construction paper, a package of cardboard coasters, some Christmas ribbon, and a coffee mug that was only a dollar. I did manage to make a big pot of chili in the crockpot for dinner later and get all the stuff I needed for the Girl Scout meeting together and in the car. Except for the book I was supposed to read, which I had to turn around and run back for. I got to Ava's school to meet my husband only 12 minutes late. But he was also late, so that doesn't count either. The time I had carved out after the meeting to take the kids to the gym, was spent in the school parking lot waiting for jumper cables, because my car died. Again, awesome! We did make it home eventually . The kids ate their chili with minimal complaining, while I made some zucchini bread (in my new loaf pan!). We gave baths, read books, laid out clothes and packed lunches. I even got to wash my face and blog before bed. Bed! I forgot to make the bed!

a little fall DIY

One of the items on my rather ambitious November to-do list is to decorate my house for fall. So the other day, armed with a dozen pumpkins and gourds in various sizes, a few cans of spray paint, and some puffy paint, I attempted to recreate one of the many things I've seen and loved on Young House Love's blog. Below, is a pumpkin that I puffy painted dots on just by following the natural lines of the pumpkin and another that I puffy painted an 'S' on.




Next, I spray painted them white. I also spray painted a couple other smaller pumpkins in a yellowy orange color and a cool black cherry color. I made a runner for my console table out of burlap and wrapped some twine around a glass vase to add to the rustic, fall feel. Here's how it turned out:

girls night with woody & buzz

While I did not get very much (er...anything) crossed off my to-do list today, I did get to do something different with the girls tonight. I spent the evening with Ava and Emerson at Toy Story 3 on Ice, which is in Baltimore for the weekend. The girls loved it and I thought the adults around me all seemed to be enjoying themselves too. I did get suckered into buying not one, but two $10 snowcones because they were served in alien souvenir cups. But the looks on their faces watching the show were priceless and totally worth it!

detour

So, I'm gearing up to start my self-imposed 30 day challenge on Monday and instead of getting a few things knocked off my list early, I seem to be adding things to my list of what I need to get done during the month of November in order to come out the other side, a less-stressed, more-organized and together me. Last week I had sent back a pair of boots to Piperlime that I had ordered for Declan and had requested them in a bigger size. They call today and tell me that my adorable boots I had picked out for him in July are no longer available in the next size up and sorry about my bad luck! Here they are:

So cute, right? Well, now I have to find him new boots! I can go with Uggs, which are nice because they slip on and don't require socks (good for running out the door). On the down side, they're don't have the personality that the 1st pair had. They are also $90, as opposed to the first pair which were only $49! My other option is a pair of Clarks Wallabees, which are super cute and closer to the original pair (minus the orange laces!) and more reasonably priced at $50. They also come in sand suede. Hmmmm......

OR

my 30 day challenge

I know, I know.... I haven't blogged in a long time. I have an excuse. Actually I have four excuses ranging in ages from 2 1/2 months to 6 years. But, it's time! I really do like to blog. I enjoy it. I feel such a sense of accomplishment when I finish a post. But, alas...it is not at the top of my priority list. It hovers near the bottom with going to the gym. But all that is about to change. I feel as though I am in need of a total life makeover. I feel like I am always just a step behind. I am always late. I am always tired. My house is always a wreck. I am always searching for something. I always have a to-do list that takes up 3 pieces of paper (front and back). My bed is never made. Dinner is never thought of until 10 minutes before it is served. The laundry is never caught-up. My beauty routine in the morning rarely consists of more than brushing my teeth and putting in my contacts. I wear yoga pants but don't go to the gym. I have approximately five unfinished projects going on simultaneously in my house. I need to get it together. This is my life, it's time to figure out how to live it. I need some order, some organization, some balance. So I am challenging myself to try to get my life together in the next thirty days. Starting Monday. You can't start a new routine/life-changing regimen on a Thursday night. Everyone knows you have to start on a Monday or on the first of the month. Well, lucky for me the first of November is also a Monday. They say it only takes 21 days to form a habit. I consider myself extra stubborn, so I feel that I need an additional 9 days. So, hence my 30 day challenge. Here are a list of things I would like to accomplish during the month of November:
1. Finish transforming the sitting room attached to my master bedroom into my fabulous new dressing room
2. Decorate my house for fall/Thanksgiving
3. Plan/shop for/cook/enjoy Thanksgiving dinner
4. Clean out garage so I can once again park my car in it
5. Take everything out of the attic & organize/label/donate/etc.
6. Clean/organize my office
7. Back-up all photos onto an external hard-drive
8. Wash/dry/fold/put away all laundry in the house & then do a load every day to maintain
9. Make my bed every day
10. Go to the gym every day
11. Plan & shop for dinners a week in advance
12. Finish my Christmas shopping so the month of December can be filled with decorating, cookie baking, cheesy-Hallmark channel movies, and driving around looking for the tackiest light displays instead of last-minute, anxiety-induced trips to the mall
13. Read my book for book club plus one additional book
14. Write at least one blog entry every day
15. Read to my kids every night before bed
16. Wash my face every night before bed (hey... no judgement!)
17. Only leave the house in work-out clothes and no make-up if I'm headed to the gym
18. Fit back into my pre-pregnancy jeans (even the skinny ones)
19. Give myself a reasonable weekly budget and stick to it
20. Update passports
21. Schedule doctor appointments for the next 3 months
22. Write down all school activities, appointments, etc. in my planner and iPhone and chalkboard calendar
23. Spend less time on facebook and other time-sucking websites
24. Limit my weekly Starbucks expenditures to $20 (again...no judgement!)
25. Take kids for more brisk walks outside and less trips to the Target
26. Find more free things to do with the kids (i.e. story-time, apple-picking, crafts)
27. Take Finlay's 3 month picture on November 6th instead of days (ok, a week... and a half) later
28. Take a Christmas-card worthy picture of the kids
29. Pack kids' lunches and layout their clothes the night before
30. Drink more water

So that's my list. I could have probably kept going, but I figure 30 things in 30 days is ambitious enough. I will blog daily to update you all on my progress. Wish me luck!

mad about mad men

Even if I wasn't completely enthralled by the characters and storyline on Mad Men, I would watch it just for the genius set design. Its mid-century modern decor is as captivating to look at as Don Draper himself. It does for design what Gossip Girl does for fashion. Here are a few of my favorites:














The Creative Office at Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Pryce (season 4)

Betty's Living Room Renovation (season 3)

Roger Sterling's new office in the Time & Life Building

my fall shoe picks

Fall is my favorite time of year, with its crisp air, colorful foliage, smells of apples, nutmeg and cinnamon, back-to-school shopping, and of course the return of the pumpkin spice latte. I love curling up with the September issue of Vogue and making a mental wishlist of everything my closet is lacking for the upcoming season. I have already evaluated my shoe needs and have narrowed it down to 5 (relatively) reasonably-priced pairs for fall.

#1: Over-the-knee boots:

Eric Michael 'Vogue' Boot in Black - $249.95

#2: Distressed Motorcycle Boots

Jeffrey Campbell Brit Wrap Strap Booties in Brown- $230

#3: Stacked Platform Sandals

DV by Dolce Vita 'Jezabel' Sandal in Natural - $89.95

#4: Clogs

Marc by Marc Jacobs Ruffle Platform Clogs in Dark Grey Goat - $330

#5: Mens Oxfords

Seychelles 'Bismuth' Bootie in Olive Green - $119.95

Alexa Chung for Madewell

I heart Alexa Chung. She always looks effortlessly cool, making peter-pan collars and full skirts look fresh and stylish. Her new line for Madewell, J. Crew's hipper, edgier younger sister, comes out next month and will be a huge factor in motivating me to lose my baby weight. Here are a couple of the looks from Alexa Chung for Madewell:To view the entire line, check out elle.com.

Countdown...

This Sunday marks my 30th week of pregnancy. In my first pregnancy, this would have meant writing thank you notes for my baby shower gifts, washing everything I could get my hands on in Dreft, playing classical music through headphones stretched around my growing belly, packing my hospital bag, taking child-birthing and breast-feeding classes, installing the infant car seat in my car, and relaxing on the couch with my feet propped up on pillows while my husband ran to the 7-11 to get me root-beer and pints of Ben & Jerry's.

Oh, how things have changed in six short years! The remaining ten weeks of this pregnancy will be spent doing all of the things I should have been doing for the last seven months in addition to all the things I will be too busy to do right after the baby is born.

The biggest and most daunting of all of these projects is the completion of my basement so that I once again have a guest room (and bathroom) as well as significant more living space. And by living space, I mean space to throw all of the kids toys so I don't have to see (i.e. trip over) them on the main floor. So my husband has 10 weeks to turn the dusty, half-drywalled concrete-floored basement dripping with exposed wires into a functional living space, complete with walls, carpet, lights, and running water. Hmmm......

The addition of a fourth baby has also caused a little rearranging of room assignments. My girls are now sharing a room with bunk beds, which is going quite well considering their polar-opposite personalities. My son had to move into one of the girls' old rooms, so his room is bright pink except, of course, the large white patches of spackle adorning the walls. The baby's room is a temporary guest room, which until the basement is done, I can't even begin to decorate.

Not to mention, the fact that this baby is due right around the time that I need to be throwing my daughter a six-year-old birthday party and going shopping for back-to-school supplies.
So... this calls for some organization on my part. And thankfully after three pregnancies of zero nesting-instincts, I have so much motivation and crazy cleaning-sprees this time around I might actually get all of this done.

I just booked a paint-you-own pottery place for my daughter's birthday party, a full week before her birthday just in case this baby wants to make her debut a little early. I ordered invitations online that should be here any day. I have begun buying her gifts online and stashing them in my closet.

I have gone through all of her school uniform clothing and gotten rid of anything too small, stained or "accidentally" cut with her kid scissors. I have ordered replacement pieces as well as washed everything that will still work for next year. I have put everything in a large plastic bin along with her lunchbox and backpack. I am going to start buying the items on her school supply list now and putting those in the bin, to save myself a giant trip at the end of August when I'm nine months pregnant. I have bought my rolls of clear contact paper for her book covers now while they are abundant instead of waiting until August where they are so scarce, grown women are mowing each other down with their shopping carts just to get their hands on some.

So, I am not able to prop my feet up every night and read baby books and play Vivaldi to my baby in utero. So I don't have a nursery put together and I'm not even sure where in the garage the infant car seat is. So I don't have a bag packed for the hospital or even a name picked out. I have ten weeks! And in crazy pregnant-women warp zone time, that's an eternity! I'll get to it all! Two weeks ago, I stayed up until 2 a.m., organizing my closet. And last week, I taught myself to knit in a half hour watching youtube videos. I can do anything! Well, besides tying my shoes or walking up a flight of stairs without getting winded. Or shaving my bikini line without the help of several strategically-placed mirrors. Or sleeping through the night without peeing eight times. But other than that, I can do anything! There's nothing like a pregnant woman on a mission!

Kindle: friend or foe?

I have loved reading since before I can remember. Some of my greatest childhood memories consist of hours spent at the public library, the agonizing decision on which books would make it into my little tote bag. I would read in the car, in my bedroom, outside in a tree. I even turned my closet into a reading nook when I was eight. I took everything out of it, put in a desk lamp and lined it with a sleeping bag, and spent hours and hours reading in there. I was the kid who took a flashlight to bed and read under the covers, until my mom busted me and made me go to sleep.
My love of books has continued well into my adulthood. My favorite place in the world is a bookstore. There's something exhilarating about it. The best book you've ever read, the book that changes who you are or how you look at the world could be just waiting for you to stumble upon. I could sit for days in a bookstore, in one of those cushy armchairs with a coffee in hand and read until my hearts content.
So naturally, the invention of the wireless reading device (i.e. Kindle, nook, Reader) has never resonated with me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I get the concept. I get that having a little device I could keep in my purse with 1500 books at my disposal sounds like a good idea. It's convenient. And as a mom of almost 4 kids, I am all about convenience. But there is just something about it that makes me feel dirty. Like I'm cheating on books, real books, with paper pages that get musty with age or crinkled after a day at the beach. I can see how downloading a book in a matter of minutes is so much easier (and cheaper) than going to the bookstore. But that thought just makes me sad. I wonder how all of these great authors, that sat by candlelight with a pen in hand and jotted down what would turn into some of the greatest literary works, would feel about me downloading their masterpiece to my Kindle. Is that the way The Great Gatsby or Anna Karenina was meant to be read?
So, I am resisting technology. I am going to stand my ground. I believe that the electronic reading device is a fad, one that we will look back on in a few years and laugh about. I believe that books will come back into style. Everything truly great does, right?

Picky Sticky

Since almost everyone I know is either pregnant or has just had a baby, I've been on the lookout lately for cute baby gifts. I received this one recently, and thought that it was a really fun idea. Picky Sticky makes cute number stickers that you can stick on the front of a plain onesie in order to take monthly milestone pictures of your new baby. They have a bunch of different styles and they are only $14.99 for 13 stickers (0-12 months). Pair with a couple packages of onesies in various sizes and you have a really easy shower gift!

making your own little wonderland

There are few literary characters envied more by little girls than Alice in Wonderland. With the upcoming release of Tim Burton's sure-to-be breathtaking version hitting theaters next month, there will be a whole new generation of children mesmerized by the whimsical wonderland.

Here are a few items to help give your little one her own little wonderland:

Alice in Wonderland print set by theblackapple on etsy.com

Toadstool table & chair set

decoylab bamboo teapot clock at Fawn & Forest

Mushroom Pouf at Anthropologie




made by mosey flutter mobile in crimson at Fawn & Forest







White Rabbit pillow cover by Nuka on etsy.com

One-lump-or two lamp at Anthropologie

Cute Kid Find

NEWSFLASH: Kids aren't exactly environmentally-friendly! They leave lights on. They waste food. They leave the water running. They unravel entire rolls of toilet paper for fun. They would rather go buy new clothes than do laundry. Oh wait...that one's me!

Well...help show your little one how to be a little more green by eliminating plastic sandwich bags, plastic wrap, and juice boxes from their lunch everyday. Goodbyns lunchboxes have 5 compartments and include an 8 oz. drink bottle. They also come with 275 stickers so they can be personalized. Available in Blue or Green at Uncommon Goods for $30.

Bachelor Pad

Cheesy reality dating show lovers rejoice! ABC announced that a new show will feature former contestants from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette living together in a house. Twenty contestants will compete against each other, with one person leaving at the end of each episode. Chris Harrison has signed on for what is sure to be the most dramatic season ever, full of hot tubs, catfights, tequila shots, steamy hookups, and hopefully a little crooning from an aspiring singer/songwriter. The Bachelor Pad airs late summer.

new year, new projects

There is nothing like the start of a new year to give you a fresh outlook on all the things in your life you'd like to change. For me, it was my house. Tackling rooms left unpainted, finally sorting through the endless plastic bins of baby clothes in the attic, clearing the linen closet for room for...well, linens! After the attic and closets were overhauled, I was forced to deal with my dingy-white living room. Here's a before picture:

So, not wanting to trade in my curtains, which I just purchased last year from Anthropologie, or my rug from CB2, I knew I had to pick a color which worked with my existing color scheme of black, white, and yellow. Then I came across this picture on Apartment Therapy:



My quest for the perfect shade of turquoise led me to Benjamin Moore's Poolside Blue. Once the room was painted, everything else kind of went back where it was. I added a little more spunk to my previously-dull photo gallery wall. I found a yellow and white Trey Speegle plate at Anthropologie that I hung on the wall, as well as the yellow chair print I found on Etsy. I am adding two white ceramic lamps from CB2 on the end tables flanking the sofa (which haven't arrived yet!) Aside from the lamps, the room is finished. Take a look:




Here's the opposite wall:




I feel so productive this year already!

monster mash

Whoever said that two heads are better than one, has not had to share a pillow with a three year old. But at 4 am, when you awake to a child just inches from your face claiming there are monsters under her bed, you can either walk her back to her room and try to convince her otherwise or you can just slide over and hope she'll lie next to you sweetly and fall back asleep. I choose the latter and spent the next two and a half hours with a squirmy, cover-hogging little chatterbox. It is no surprise that I have spent a good portion of my day researching monster-repellents online. Enter Scare Me Nots, quirky little plush creatures designed to scare away monsters. Their Velcro tails allow them to hang from door handles, closet or curtain rods, and chair backs. Their tails can also be placed between the box spring and mattress allowing them to hang upside down and see under the bed. The Scare Me Not crew includes Guardian Gus, Fearless Fred, Defender Dave, Watchdog Wally, Valiant Valerie, and Protector Patty. Available at www.scaremenot.com for $24.95 each. A small price to pay, considering I think I spent that at Starbuck's this morning just to wake up.

damn the man

Maybe it's that I'm sick of hearing about the corruption of corporate America and the Bernie Madoff's of the world or maybe it's that I'm attempting to be a little thriftier this Christmas, but I'd rather give my money to the little guy this year. Instead of hitting the mall this year to tackle your holiday shopping, try Etsy.com instead. An online marketplace with sellers in over 150 countries, Etsy offers everything handmade you could ever imagine. And then some!

Here's my Etsy gift guide to help with your holiday shopping list!

For your mom:

sprinkled with brown floral scarf - $48

For your dad:

necktie wallet - $28

For your husband:

secret message cuff links - $85

For your sister:

gold oak leaf necklace - $26

For your best friend:

yellow reeves feather headband - $20

For your nephew:

appliqued toddler tee with deer head - $21

For your niece:

nadia mae - $42

For your child's teacher:

teacher's gift personalized note cards - $15

For your friend's new baby:

custom crochet brown owl beanie - $29.95