Life with Violet

Hello everybody! I'm back! Well, for a moment anyways…to update you on the birth of our baby and life these days! We very happily welcomed Violet Isla into our family on November 12th, 2016, just one day before she was due. She has been an easy going, happy baby from day one, and we could not be more overjoyed.

Trick-or-Treat Halloween Mantel

Happy Halloween! My kids are so excited to dress up today as a pink fairy and Iron Man for their school costume parade and then head out trick-or-treating this evening. I hope I can keep up with them! I'm 38 weeks along now, just waiting on Baby Girl to make her appearance. 

A few weeks ago, I finally got the "Halloween decorating bug" and did up our dining room mantel. Hazel and Owen had fun helping me and making their own decorations too.

Mainly, I used items we already had, decorations from previous years, and some crafts we worked on together. The only new purchases were all of the pumpkins and gourds.

Here is what we put together…

Although I MUST WARN YOU!! Before we venture ahead…

Hazel’s Wolf Birthday Party

At the end of June, my sweet daughter Hazel turned five. Her favorite animal is the wolf, so for months she had been telling me she wanted to have a wolf themed birthday party. I knew it would be a tricky one planning and finding decorations for, but I was up for the challenge!

Even though this party happened months ago, I still wanted to share how we celebrated here with you. Better late than never right? (I'm pretty sure I say that about all of my kids' birthday party posts!)

The End of Summer and New Beginnings

This summer seems to have flown by. I am sure I think that every summer, but this time, I am sending two kids off to school, so it seems even more monumental. Hazel heads to full day kindergarten (and riding the bus!) and Owen heads to half day Pre-K. I know they are both more than ready and will do and learn amazing things, but I am a bit sad this precious time home during the day with them is coming to an end of sorts.

Of course, we will be adding a new member to our family this fall and will start the whole process over again, which I am looking forward to! If you didn't hear in my last post…we are expecting another girl in November. Our whole family is excited and can't wait to enjoy the holiday season getting to know another precious gift.

Our growing family and where I have been…

I know…I know…it has been forever since I have posted on this little blog of mine! I decided at the beginning of the summer to make some transitions in life, mainly being to take a break from the computer and social media. It has been a very refreshing time and exactly what I needed.

I have been free to spend every day focused on Hazel and Owen: having fun, exploring, creating, playing, using our imaginations and building lasting memories.

Dollhouse Girl’s Room Plans

If you are still following along with the Dollhouse Therapy challenge we started back in March, I have some new room plans to share today! Your co-hosts: Cassie, Anu, Emy and I are all working on ideas for our next room reveals which will happen on the last Tuesday of this month, when we will also be giving away $100 to Miniatures.com for those who have been joining us in the challenge!

Today, I am sharing my basic plans for the girl's room. Hazel has the "girl's room" and Owen has the "boy's room." It was tough deciding which room to do first, but I chose to focus on the girl's room first because Hazel's birthday is on June 30th…right after I get it done. I thought it would be a fun birthday surprise!

A Father’s Gift of Time and a Giveaway!

I have partnered with Jord for this post and giveaway. All expressed opinions are 100% my own. Full Disclosure.

One of the best things about my husband, is the amount of time that he spends with our children. He not only loves and adores them, but goes out of his way to do special things with them often. One thing that they currently enjoy is geocaching. They find special "treasure boxes" hidden by other geocachers all over, then exchange little items for ones that they find inside. Both Hazel and Owen love this, but I think the most important part is the time they spend out exploring with their dad.

I knew I wanted to get Josh a unique Father's Day gift this year that fit his personality. He loves watches and time pieces (he actually makes Steampunk jewelry using vintage watch and pocket watch pieces), so I knew the wood watches from Jord would be a great gift idea for him.

Dollhouse Therapy Challenge: Kitchen Plans

I have partnered with Miniatures.com for this post. All expressed opinions are 100% my own. Full disclosure.

Dollhouse Therapy officially kicks off today! I am so excited for this challenge and all of the people who have already jumped on board to join Primitive & Proper, Nalle's House, Semigloss Design and myself. The four of us are sharing our first room plans today and will be revealing the afters the last Tuesday of April. Today, I am showing you the room I plan on working on: the kitchen!

Last month, I tried to get a jump start and get the living room done, and while I did make a lot of progress, I am sad to admit the room is still not finished. Thus no room reveal as I had hoped in March. Soon though, I promise.

Even though that room isn't done, I am eager to work on the kitchen and have some fun plans for it along with some new additions via Miniatures.com.

Easter Basket Gift Ideas for Toddlers & Preschoolers

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for any sales made through them. Full disclosure.

It's hard to believe Easter is next weekend! I am always so last minute getting my kids' baskets made up. If you are in the same boat, and have a toddler or preschooler in your house, I have a round up of some adorable gifts to fill their baskets.

We always have an egg hunt for the kids first thing (outside if the weather cooperates and inside if not), which we fill with little candies, stickers, or small toys. And then eventually the trail of eggs leads to their baskets. 

DIY Monster’s Inc. Birthday Party

This post contains some affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for any sales made through them. Full disclosure.

One of the things I am notoriously bad at here on this little blog of mine, is posting my children's birthday parties relatively soon after the event. My son Owen turned three last September…and we had a fun Monster's Inc. party for him. He is obsessed with Monster's Inc. and Monster's University! I wish I had shared this sooner, but alas…better late than never, right?

I must admit, I completely missed sharing his second birthday party here, which was a super cool car party. {Insert embarrassed emoji face here} Maybe one day I still will. Till then…here is how we did it up for him turning the big three!

Girly Wolf Den: Little Girl’s Bedroom Inspiration

My four year old daughter, Hazel, loves wolves. She has a growing collection of stuffed animals and even proudly sports a wolf hat to school every morning. So, as I have been racking my brain, trying to figure out how to combine all of her interests into a cohesive bedroom design, I decided it might help if I pulled together some themes to see what she loved best. Today, I am sharing my first one…a girly wolf den inspired bedroom. 

I know that getting her to fall in love with some of these items (like the bedding) is a long shot. Her favorite color is magenta…sigh. But I am still going to see what she thinks of it all pulled together. She told me just so long as it had wolves she would love it. In fact she already has some of the items on this list including 6 and 8. Number eight is her beloved wolf, Aspen, whom she can't go to bed without!

Choosing a Rug for the Transition From Toddler to Big Girl

I have partnered with Rugs USA for this post. All expressed opinions are 100% my own. 

My daughter Hazel will be five this summer. I can't believe how fast the time from toddler to preschooler went by. Her brother, Owen, was born when she was 15 months old, so she only had her own room for a very short period of time. For the past few years they have shared the smaller of our two bedrooms, but just recently, we moved them into the master bedroom to give them more space for toys and creating their own individual sides.

Hazel is so excited to have her own "big girl" room and we have been planning together how to decorate it. Today, I am sharing the first piece of the puzzle…her new area rug.

Here are some important facts about Hazel: she's a total girly-girl who loves pink and could play Barbies all day long. She tells me she wants her room to be "all pink and purple with Barbies and unicorns and rainbows and hearts and stars…" etc. etc. etc. She has a lot of ideas. Let me tell you.

Miniature Fixer Upper {a dollhouse makeover ‘before’}

We are used to having a fixer upper to work on ever since buying our first home back in 2010, but when my husband brought home a handmade dollhouse that he found at a yard sale a couple of years ago, I was instantly smitten and knew we needed to show this home as much love as we have our own. Today, I am showing you the "before" pics and sharing the progress we have made thus far on our "other fixer upper."

Ever since I was a little girl, I have been enamored with dollhouses and miniatures. I would literally save up my money to go to a craft store called "Pleasures & Pastimes" that had a large aisle for dollhouse aficionados. The store eventually closed, but my love affair with dollhouses and their accessories never has.

Nostalgic Christmas Tree & Making Memories

  Christmas is almost upon us! Which actually gets me a little sad that this magical time will soon be over, but before it is, I wanted to share more details of our nostalgic Christmas tree and some of the memories we have been making this holiday season. 

I shared my full holiday home tour last week, but our tree is pretty special to me since we received several of my grandparents' ornaments. Both of them passed away earlier this year (my grandmother in January and my grandfather in March), so it has been a time of loss and remembering. I am grateful to have these small mementos to keep their memory alive in our home.

Holiday Home Tour 2015

This Christmas season has been special for me. With a three and four year old, it is absolutely the best time of year, so I have been taking things slow to savor all of the sweet moments and create lasting memories. I decided to hold off on doing a holiday home tour post for just that reason, but I'm happy to share it with you today.

I was invited to two large group tours and was a bit sad to turn them down, but I knew it would cause me a lot of stress getting our home all done up the week after Thanksgiving. I wanted to take my time and not get lost focusing on what everyone else would be impressed by, but what would make every day magical for my little ones. So that is what I am sharing today: our kid-centered, real life holiday home. I hope you enjoy the "visit"…

DIY Advent Calendar & Festive Holiday Mantel

I have been sponsored by Command Brand and received product for this post. All expressed opinions are 100% my own, and all additional products selected were chosen by me. This post also contains affiliate links*. Read my full disclosure. 

Decorating for Christmas has always been a favorite pastime of mine. Some years, however, I let the pressure to have a "perfect holiday home" get to me, and lose the joy the season brings trying to get it all done. This year, instead of trying to tackle decorating our entire home and going over the top everywhere, I decided to focus on what would bring my children joy and fill their little hearts with wonder. What better way than a homemade advent calendar?

Today, I hope you are inspired by how I made it with some simple materials and I'm also excited to give you a glimpse of our festive mantel.

Sundays at Home will Return Next Week!

Life sure does get busy once summer is over! I know that most of you are popping in right now to link up to our Sundays at Home link party, but due to lots going on for both of us and myself being under the weather, Susan and I are postponing the party until next week. We apologize from the bottom of our hearts for any inconvenience, and hope you will understand!

My sweet little Hazel started Pre-K last week (insert crying face here!). It was a huge change, but honestly, it has been a wonderful one for all of us.

Goodbye Summer

Summer is almost over, and I am sad to see it go. But then…fall is my favorite, so I am definitely ready to sink right into it. Here is one last hoorah to summer with some random shots I captured these past few months and a look back on some of our adventures.

Overall, it was a busy, but relaxing summer. We were able to get away, spend time with extended family and most of all spend time with each other. With Hazel turning four and Owen on the verge of turning three, it feels like these little years a slipping right through my hands. Before I know it Hazel will be leaving me all day for kindergarten and Owen will follow along soon thereafter. And I'll just be sitting here wondering where the time went.

Trip to the Adirondacks

Last week, we had the pleasure of going to the Adirondacks for a few days. It was the first time my husband and I had been there. We went with my mom, step-dad and uncle who had all been before. When my mom and uncle were little, my grandparents would take them up there since it was where my grandmother grew up. That made it even more special since both of my grandparents passed away earlier this year. It almost felt as if they were with us. Their memory definitely was.

We stayed in a beautiful log cabin, which I will be sharing a full home tour of…in installments over the next few weeks, so as not to overwhelm you in one post! I took just shy of a bazillion photos, I think. Today, I wanted to share the personal side of our trip and the sights we saw. Still might be picture overload, but I hope you enjoy…

DIY Pet Rock Monsters {Crafting with Your Kids No. 3}

Once nice weather hits, I am all about bringing my kids outside to do art and craft projects. For this installment of Crafting with Your Kids, I have a simple and fun tutorial on how to turn ordinary rocks into "pet monsters." My youngest, Owen, is pretty obsessed with the movie Monsters, Inc., so I knew this would be right up his alley.

When I was little, I loved painting rocks, so I was pretty sure my kids would too. And the cool part about this project is, afterwards, they have a fun little "pet" to play with and display on a shelf in their room.