Weekly Planning + FREE PRINTABLES!

I've been a stay at home mom now for 3 years and I'm still trying to figure out how to balance everything.  I'm sure once I get the hang of it we'll hit another phase and everything will change...again.  I'm trying to focus on getting my "work" done first before I "play".  I didn't choose to stay at home so I could blog, work on projects or hang out with friends.  I became a stay at home mom to take care of my family and home so that has to be my priority. 

I really do love to be organized.  Who doesn't?  But sometimes I spend too much time day dreaming about how I can be better organized instead of actually being organized.  I have a planner that I use for meetings and write everything down and get home, close it and forget about it.  How is that effective?  It's not!  So even though I have cute pens and a stinken cute planner my methods are not working.  So I've come up with some processes to keep me better organized for myself, my family and the church that I serve (did I mention I'm the Early Childhood Director at my church?)  After living in our house for 3 years, I've finally gotten my work space just the way I want it complete with storage bins, bulletin board, shelves and my handy dandy planner stand (also known as a cookbook stand).  Now I keep my planner open to the month view so I can better plan ahead.  I don't use my planner for every little thing but I save it for my big meetings and events since quite a bit of what I do needs to be done in advance.  But I've gotta have break down of my week right in front of me.  Am I weird?  Don't answer that.  I made a weekly planner for myself to hang on the fridge and that's where  I write down my meals, errands I have to run, what needs to be cleaned...you know...all the tedious stuff that would otherwise get lost in my big planner. 

I hang my planner on the refrigerator using washi tape because I care about details like that!  I was using my son's stickers but I just wasn't feeling the cartoon dog.

We made a punch card invite for my sister's engagement party so I carried the theme over to this planner.  Circle the month and the days that it's for, or don't.  Whatever. 

Don't feel like you have to only use printer paper!  I used left over brown craft paper to make a statement.  It's sturdier too so it'll hold up as I tote it around. 

Cute pens are a must.  I'm more motivated to write things down when I have a cute and colorful pen.  I know I'm not the only one.

 
In another blog post, I'm going to tell you all about my office organization which includes these really cute jars from Ikea! 

 

Click on each image to download!

NOT Design Challenged

I got to thinking about my post about the Living Room.  We really aren't Design Challenged.  Our family room is nicely done, minus a few small ever changing details, like what goes on the shelves in the entertainment unit.  As it is with most people, it just takes time to get everything just the way you want it, unless you 're one of those people.  I like to make a lot of decor or find things that are unique to "our story". 

We got our couch from a local furniture store, Norwood.  We originally had a cream colored cushion and we replaced them with the brown...after the first one was born.  Our S table and ottoman came from the Potato Barn, which is becoming one of favorite stores to shop at.  They have really unique pieces and their prices are really reasonable. The lamps and wall decor are from Kirklands.  And you recognize the blue recliner right?  It doesn't look that bad in this room.  Right?  RIGHT?

We designed this unit from Ikea.  My husband had SO much fun putting it together.  5 trips BACK to Ikea in ONE week.  By me.  I made the trek. 

I made the puff on the left out of coffee filters, a foam ball and a candle stick holder from the Dollar Tree.  Photography by Raw Canvas Photography

 I really like the edges of these books.  One is an old Bible and the other two are Bible Studies.  The spines aren't too exciting so I decided to face them page side out.

 They are sitting with the candles from our wedding.  Needs a little more "oomph", don't you think?  It's more "oomphy" at Christmas time.

 A pop of red never hurt anyone, I always say.

My sister bought me this old camera from an antique store and I absolutely love how unique it is.  I made the flowers out of coffee filters and the sign on the left is something my sister made me.  We have a Pinners group at church that meets a few times a year to create a project from Pinterest.  This group happened to make these from Simply Stoked.

 The blue chair...upclose.  Don't worry, that pillow is getting recovered for the Living Room.

 One of my favorite pieces.  Most ceiling fans are so ugly and I refuse to have an ugly ceiling fan.  We bought 5 new ceiling fans for our house this past spring.  We made three trips back to the store.  My husband put up and took down two fans and had to go back for a different part for another one.  But look how pretty?

 This is my sentimental cabinet.  I have my silver, crystal and china given to me from Grandmothers on either side of my family.  We designed this unit at Ikea as well.  Don't worry, we have the bottom one locked so curious hands do not touch what they are not supposed to.  I believe in having pretties and children in the same room at the same time.

 My youngest, Dax.  Photography by yours truly.

 Oh good, I was worried you wouldn't be able to see my reflection.  I actually served coffee out of this set last Christmas.  We were all scared to drink the coffee.  I think I'll stick to a normal coffee pot this year.

 This is our wedding bouquet in a spray painted vase.  Photography by Raw Canvas Photography.

 You'll never guess where the mirror is from?  Ikea!  It's so popular and for obvious reasons.  Where else can you get a gigantic mirror for $99?  The lanterns are from Kirklands and the hooks are from Rod Works.

 These parsons chairs aren't my favorite.  They were when I bought them, but not now.  I may be reupholstering them in the future.  Our table is also from Potato Barn.  We opted just to buy the table without the chairs.  I don't think we will be doing that again, now I really wish we had the matching chairs!

 Backsplash coming soon....We painted our doors a while back.  We LOVE the difference that it made in our house.

 Forgive me for the fingerprints.  We have switched around most of the locks in the house because of....

 this boy!  Who is wondering what I am doing. 

Oh my.  How perfectly chunky.

So that is our family room and a little taste of our dining room and kitchen.  Proof that we're not completely designed challenged.

Living Room

When we built our house in 2012 we thought we would be able to do and buy everything we wanted for our house within the first year (I'll be generous, we actually thought the first few months).  Finish the backyard, put in new flooring, garage door opener (who builds a house without one of those? we do apparently), living room furniture, master bedroom furniture...and the list goes on.  It's been a little over two years and we have put in a garage door opener and have completed half of the backyard.  Did I mention in those two years we also had two very beautiful little boys?  Our hearts, minds, and wallets have been occupied, to say the least.  We are finally starting to move forward with a few projects which is why we started this blog.  We want to share our experiences with you and hopefully give you some inspiration along the way.

Let's start with the living room.  While I would LOVE to buy brand new furniture, we are going to use what we have.  When we got married, my in-laws gave us their 1996 blue La-Z-Boy furniture.  A couch, love seat (WITH console in the middle) and TWO recliners.  I know what you're thinking, "that's a lot of blue furniture!"  Yes, yes it is.  It's a little bit of a challenge to soften them, but a challenge we have accepted.  Here are a few before shots of our living room.

  See, I told you it was blue.

 I just can't part with the red chair.  We've used the chair for engagement, wedding and maternity photos.  I'm too sentimental.  But for the this project, I'll have to suck it up and just get rid of it. 

We are currently using one of the recliners in our family room.  My father-in-law will tell you how much he loves La-Z-Boy, and how much he still loves the furniture set.  My mother-in-law will tell you a different story.

Here is what we want to do:

1. Paint the walls
2. Make new pillow cases
3. Hang curtains
4. Paint the clock
5. Make new sconces
6. Make "new" pallet wall decor
7. Build end pieces

I've already bought the fabric for our pillows and the curtains are hemmed and ironed and just need to be hung.  Our project is underway!  Can't wait to share it all with you!