Being a Bad Blogger

So blogging hasn't gone the way I'd like so far.  In a way I wish I had discovered this before the boys were born because this is the kind of thing I love and would have had so much leisurely time to dedicate to it. These days leisure is a foreign concept. Right now Im DIY'ing some but don't seem to be able to take photos of the projects. For some reason I end up with hundreds of photos of babies but no projects. For instance I keep meaning to take photos of the kitchen and it hasn't happened.  Fail…. wonk wonk.

My pace is a lot slower than it used to be…. and that's ok. It just means I'm posting once or twice a month instead of 3 times a week like I'd hoped. I don't mean to complain Im just sounding off about the difference between what I'd like to accomplish and what I have the actual time to do. 

I think that will change as things get settled or more settled and I get into a good routine. I've been working on preparations for the boys first birthday… 1 year already!!! Where has the time gone? To say I've been a little obsessed is being kind. I have been surfing the web like a mad women to find the perfect theme and then using Pinterest to get ideas for bringing that theme to life. I think I've enjoyed the planning more than anyone will enjoy the actual party. Is that weird? I don't think so either. Celebrating my boys makes me incredibly happy and I can't wait to have friends and family over to see our new house for the first time. 

I've also been working in the yard and around the outside of the house. Weeding has taken over my life! Im out there for an hour at least 2-3 times a week. It's very therapeutic but also frustrating how quickly they come back. In my experience that first year with new flower beds is always the hardest. Keeping the bed clear of the invasive suckers is serious work. After that it seems like you don't have to work so hard to keep them clear. I should have used the plastic under the mulch and could kick myself for it but it's too late now. Although as things fill out I'll have to slide things around a little so it looks good. I always have to move my plants a couple of times if not more. I have a vision but need to make some tweeks here and there as they grow. 

The New House

So we've been in the new house for a couple of weeks now. It's coming together but 

it's a work in progress. The days have a funny way of running together and sometimes I don't think I'll ever get everything done. And that's just silly because with each project 

I tackle I can see some progress happening. 

Moving Day. Our Dinning Room aka box drop

Are we the only ones who get our boxes from the ABC (liquor) Store?

The biggest challenge for me is finding a place for everything. Deciding the best place for the glasses or the drawer for silverware. All those things seem overwhelming… in the sense that you have to decide so many things right off the bat. Eventually you just pick a drawer and go with it because it can be moved if you don't like where it is. I just didn't want to have to move 15 different drawers or cabinets. 

I must done ok because haven't had too move much…  that was a relief. 

Unpacking the kitchen with a little help from Wyatt

Everyday things seems to come together more and more. Even though it's been overwhelming at times it's been worth it. One day you're about to pull out your hair in frustration… "Where should this go?!!!" The next thing you know you look around and things look almost put together. 

The other big challenge is being a mom and trying to find time to do everything. It's not easy having boxes stare out you when you're not able to do anything about it. The last time we moved was 7 years ago. We were much younger and we didn't have kids so we could work into the night if we wanted…  skip a meal or even eat while working. So not the case now. I go to bed around 9:30pm each night because at least one of the boys will wake up during the night. These days we are up for the day between 5:30 and 6am. Oh how I wish I could talk them into sleeping until 7am but …..my pleas fall on deaf ears…. When did your little ones start to sleep through the night? 

I'll have some before and after photos up soon. Im also planning the boys first birthday party. I'll have pictures of the decorations and party. 

I hope you're having a wonderful summer and staying cool. 

My First Mothers Day

*It's been a while since I posted and I am way behind. Moving and setting up our new home while caring for our boys left me no energy for blogging…. sad face. It's been over a month since I wrote this post so bear with me while I catch you up on what we've been up to. 

I celebrated my first Mothers Day since the boys were born this year and it was perfect. 

And it may have caused some controversy but … gasp... I celebrated last year too. I had a cousin who was surprised/confused as to why I would celebrate if the boys hadn't been born yet. I replied that even though they weren't officially here I was already a mother. It's just a different stage of motherhood.  Just like every year from now on will be a different stage with it's own set of unique challenges. I was surprised at her dismay and wanted to say it's an individual thing as to if you chose to celebrate while pregnant and I think you should do what you want. Either way you're not wrong. Do your thing. 

My mother in law made this with the boys and gave it to me… How thoughtful! I love this so much. It's so awesome to have this to look back at these little hands. They are changing so much and so quickly.

My husband sent me these beautiful flowers "from the boys" 

I totally love to get flowers even though they don't last. These lasted surprisingly long. I was very pleased. I can be very practical with gifts usually I like things that I can use but Im a sucker for flowers. 

They sat by my bed on the nightstand and I got to see them before bed and first thing in the morning for a good 2 weeks. They smelled incredible and looked so fresh. 

We also went out to eat. Nothing fancy just a trip to Smithfields Chicken and BBQ. 

They have the most amazing BBQ sandwiches. If you haven't tried it and you're able

 DO. IT. 

You will not be disappointed. 

We went to Tanger Outlets and did some shopping. 

And I needed new tires so we shopped at Walmart while we waited to have them put on.  I picked up some items for the boys first birthday in July. It made my day. I can't wait to celebrate. 

Painting Furniture

We have been painting the furniture but it is slow going. Between juggling work and the boys there isn't a lot of time left over. We manage to squeeze it in as much as possible but it has been a few days between some of the coats of paint/polyurethane ….. and there have been many. 

Sorry no before pictures…. my husband obviously doesn't know how this works…. we need before pictures my love!! Im sad I didn't get those in before but trust me when I tell you they needed painting. The dresser looked almost new, I just wasn't a big fan of the finish. The book case was old… I mean REALLY old. 10-13 years old purchased from Walmart for probably $20.  I thought if it doesn't turn out I'll throw it out and if it works … YAY! 

This is a sort of a before… just imagine everything put together. 

And these are some bunk beds taken apart that I found on Craigslist for $100. Real wood and very durable just needed some paint so everything would match. 

This is after the first coat of paint…

And here we are after the third. BIG difference. 

I don't have any photos of the finished project because it's been a crazy busy month. I've been lucky to get done what I have. My fun in blogging was put on hold… sad face. 

We do have the go ahead to set in motion moving plans for next week. Im almost scared to post that… we've had so many set backs… but here goes.

 Keep your fingers crossed for us. 

After Im in my own home I think it will be so much easier to carve out some time to blog regularly. We're all in the same room at my inlaws so Im not able to type when the boys are sleeping or do anything that makes too much noise. 

You do not want to wake up teething 10 month olds! 

Im looking forward to sharing the coming together of our home. I've spent countless hours daydreaming and creating Pinterest boards. Im so excited for it to all come together. 

If you have any tops for unpacking with small ones underfoot please share. 

or just wish me luck… Im going to need it. 

The Best Things In Life Are Free

I'm a member of Mom's (that's Mom's of Multiples) and they have a wonderful network of mothers that are there for support when you need them. Another awesome perk is there is a website with a message board that people can list things for sale, ask for advice, or offer things up for free. 

Imagine my delight when I got my daily email with new classifieds and saw FREE Swingset. And not just any swing set…. one of those fancy wooden ones that I've been eyeing but thought I'd never be able to afford. Have you seen the price tag on those things? 

Where is my money tree?

It's been used and loved by another family but was in great shape. I feel so lucky to have it and only hope one day Im able to pay it forward…

 if not with this set then in some other way. 

The only catch is that Dale had to drive over take it apart and bring it home then put it back together.

Have I mentioned how great my man is? He is the best. 

I didn't go with him so I wasn't able to get any shots of him taking it apart or loading it but here is what it looked like when he got it home and unloaded. 

He admitted he was a little worried when he saw it and wondered 

if it was in good enough shape to use.

uh oh… 

Turns out it he was worried for nothing it looks great.

It definitely doesn't look brand new, but for free it is AMAZING! 

Sorry for the lack of putting it together shots… he did this while I was at work. I arrived to supervise and help him put on the roof. Which I have to say I was impressed by. This thing held up both of our combined weights… for sure it's safe enough for the boys. The set was missing some screws… nothing a quick trip to Lowe's couldn't handle. And voila….

A fully functional swing set. 

Our  boys are a little young to get much use of it but we do have infant swings we are using at my      in-laws and they will get plenty of use here.

Here I am making sure the swings work… I LOVE to swing.  I know Im sort of an idiot. Dale said I should act silly and this is what we got. 

I feel so grateful to have this new (to us) set and will be so excited when we can start to use it daily. 

Tour of the New House with Before Photos

We've decided to part ways with our floor guy and move on to a company with more experience with dark floor stains. This is good news I think. But with the good comes …. that's right…. some bad… 

The new company can't get us in for a few weeks. So while I try not cry…. I'll keep it together long enough to take you on a tour of home as it was when we purchased. 

  I've been living with my in-laws since January. Don't get me wrong they are GREAT… really great but it's tough. Space is tight and privacy is.... leaving something to be desired. Living with your own parents can be hard.. even more so when it's someone else's. 

You've seen the front before … but here it is again. Cute huh? We've taken out all the old landscaping and replaced it with my hydrangea garden. I've also added some gardenia and azalea bushes. It's going to be really beautiful once it fills in. I'll be sure to show some of those pics soon. I promise. 

This is a view of the back. The bushes haven't come out yet but I plan to remove them. We're thinking of expanding the concrete slab to serve as a patio but ...we haven't decided. A deck would be awesome but they are super expensive and we've reached our max budget for big ticket items for the next year or two.

The kitchen 

And from a different angle. Im trying to talk Dale into letting me paint the cabinets white or an off white. We had a bad experience at our last home so he's paint shy with cabinets. I think I've convinced him. I'll keep you posted.

Here we have the dining room from the living room. It's one big space and I love it. Very open but Im not sure how the layout will go as far as furniture yet. I'll have to play around with it…. if we ever move in. Sorry .... the pity party is coming out again. 

This is the master. I love how bright the room is. 

My favorite thing about this room is the huge closet I'll have… 

ALL. TO. MY. SELF.     

Happy Dance. Big Smiling Face

And here we have the master bath. We were told the cabinets were custom but they are a little blah, not bad but not as good as they could be. They just need a little paint to spruce them up. 

We'll eventually put in new counter tops but that will be in a year or two. If only I had unlimited funds…. sigh.

 I'd love to frame out the mirror with some molding. The shower will stay the same. 

Another view…

Here's a shot of the shower. 

That brings us to the boys rooms. You can see the beautiful chalkboard wall…. we ended up painting over it. While I like the idea... Im more likely to do a smaller area and not a whole wall. 

The previous owners had good taste. They were Duke fans. :) Duke stickers where everywhere in this room.

Since we have 3 bedrooms we decided to separate the twins to work on sleep training. We initially thought we'd have a guest room but my boys aren't sleeping through the night yet and momma is Tired. 

That's right my boys are almost 10 months old and don't sleep through the night. I usually get up twice a night and that's for about 20-30 minutes to take care of both if Im lucky. 

Any pointers or tips would be greatly appreciated. 

Although I think sleep deprivation is normal for me now. ;) 

And here we have the 3rd and final bedroom. Pretty straight forward. We've already painted and I have adorable decorations from the nursery at our previous home. Im not sure if I'll have enough decorations for both rooms so I guess that means I'll just HAVE to shop for more. Nothing to be done about it… right? You'll help explain to the hubby?? Thanks for backing me up. 

Our second bath which will serve for the boys as well as any guests that visit. The same as our bath just a smaller area and different layout. I'll paint the vanity in here as well and we've removed the sliding doors from the shower. Im not a fan. It would be awful bathing my babies and trying to lean against that thing. Ughh… makes me hurt just thinking about it. I wasn't able to convince Dale to remove the one in the master bath but you have to pick your battles… am I right? 

This post is going long... sorry. One last photo and I'll wrap it up. Promise.

Our laundry room. It looks small but it's plenty of room. We'll stack a front load washer and a dryer in one corner and in the other Im doing a shelving unit from Lowes. 

And there you have it a tour of our home as it was when we purchased. Overall adorable but in need of some updating. We've painted all the walls and Dale has installed tile in the bathrooms. All that's left is painting cabinets, hanging blinds, cleaning the bathrooms and windows while we wait for the new flooring company to fix the floors for us. 

I'll post some in between photos for you to see how the transformation is coming along. 

I'd love to hear from you about your past or current renos and any advice you have on what worked for you. 

Happy Wednesday

Delays

We found out yesterday we wont be able to move in next weekend… I was really sad, frustrated, and angry about it yesterday but it's what has to happen so I can't dwell on it. 

The floors need to be stripped bare and redone. The machine our guy used to sand around the edges of the room left marks on the floor that couldn't be seen until it was stained. The worst part is that to correct it you have to start all over. I know it is such a bummer.

Can you see it? They are swirl marks. It's hard to make out in photos.

Another shot 

These are spots that weren't filled with putty and those will be fixed as well. We're very picky but hardwood floors are expensive so we're making sure it's done right. 

Here's a view from the kitchen. It's going to look great. 

The stain is Ebony by Minwax and the floors are white oak.

So we've moved on to our next project… painting furniture. My husband says my theme song should be "Paint it Black" by The Rolling Stones and I agree. You will too in time. It's one of my favorite colors to paint just about anything. It's durable, looks sophisticated, and matches everything. It makes decorating a breeze. I can have everything bold and black and bring in my color with accents. 

Here is a little tease of our project.

These are items for the boys' rooms. A dresser, small bookcase, and bunk beds. It looks great and I'll share pictures soon of the newly painted items.

What did you work on this weekend? Any painting tips to share?