Making the Most of Milwaukee

My house is almost always in some state of mess. Even if the main floor is clean and tidy, the laundry is probably piled up. Or the kids' rooms look like a tornado blew through. Yesterday morning, my friend Amy shared an article of things clean people do regularly to keep their houses looking awesome. I could make all sorts of excuses why my house doesn't stay in tip-top shape, the main one being that I have 4 little kids, but it's time to put my big girl pants on, and admit that I'm a slob and I need some serious self-discipline. I edited and added to the list to make it fit me and my family better, and here it is: 1. Make beds every morning  * Make own bed  * Teach kids to make their beds 2. Practice the one-minute rule throughout the day  * If something can be done in one minute or less, take care of it right away 3. Put things away after use  * A place for everything and everything in its place 4. Put shoes and coats away immediately after walking ...

December is always such a busy month, but I'd be lying if I didn't kind of like the hustle and bustle. I mean, don't get me wrong: I really dislike when Christmas becomes more about commercialism and materialism than about celebrating the birth of Jesus and spending time with loved ones. I've done almost no shopping so far for anyone, including our kids. I suppose I should get on it soon, huh. And by "on it," I mean "on Amazon" of course. ;0) One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is baking (and let's face it, eating) Christmas cookies. Every year several moms and their kids make and decorate Christmas cookies for our annual church Christmas party. Other years we all spread out in the church basement with our already baked cookies for the children to joyfully (and messily) decorate loads of cookies and treats for the party. Well, this year there were a bunch of sick kids so the event got cancelled. So I did what every sensible m...

Lately I've been feeling (and acting) very adventurous in the kitchen! In the last couple months I've made several new recipes, and who knows how many I've made in the last year! I really enjoy trying new foods, both for the challenge and for the tastes! Plus, I like cooking yummy foods for my husband. 80) Right now I'm nibbling on some (cold) leftover slow cooker beef and broccoli . I paired it with veggie fried rice . Both were brand new recipes. The beef and broccoli was delicious. The only substitute I made was to use coconut palm sugar instead of brown sugar. The fried rice was okay, mainly because I didn't let the rice cook long enough to actually get fried. It's not my first time attempting at failing at fried rice. I'm sure I'll try again one day. Currently, I've got paleo granola bars cooling in the fridge. Nuts, seeds, raisins, honey, coconut oil, and a little vanilla, salt and cinnamon. Easy peasy. I shall see if they're any good ...

It's a little after 8 on Monday morning, and I'm slowly waking up with my coffee. I'm thinking about this past weekend, feeling thankful...and honestly, a bit forgetful. Why is it so easy for me to forget something that happened like two days ago? haha Anyway, on Friday around lunchtime, my friend Laura and her children came over for a play date. I love play dates, because (usually) the kids run off and do their thing while the grownups get to talk. Laura's son, Ben and my son are best buddies, so we have pretty frequent play dates. We always have good conversations together. Friday evening, I watched my friend, Rebecca's two children while she visited a friend in the hospital. It was a last minute thing, but I was happy to help. Plus her kids are 6 and 4, Josie and Deuce's ages! The kids played nicely together for awhile, and then I plopped them in front of the TV for a movie. On Saturday, I spent a good portion of the day grocery shopping. I've been ...

I had intended on blogging about our most recent family photo session. The shoot was early October, so I'm a little behind, but better late than never, right? We met our photographer, who happens to be one of my dearest friends, Mo Schultz , in the Walker's Point neighborhood of Milwaukee near some old, abandoned buildings. It was SO chilly and extremely windy, but with Mo's assistant, and another great friend of ours, Marie, we managed to get some wonderful shots! Here are some of my favorites of the day: Family Three Kids All Four Kids Such a sweet and silly girl: Josie What a little stud: Deuce Little Miss Personality: Margo. The sweetest baby ever: Piper  My handsome hubby and I  My Boys The girls and I

Every so often I get the urge to purge. I get overwhelmed when there is too much stuff, and Christmas always brings more stuff - especially toys. In order to avoid the stress that overabundance brings to me, I'm going to get a head start on the clutter before it starts. Not that long ago I read an ebook on minimalism. I like a lot of the ideas, but some are too out there for me. For example, the ideas that everything should be plain and the walls should be bare are silly to me. It's one thing to want few possessions. It's another to be a total dud. Well anyway, in this book, there was the "100 thing challenge." That challenge was to eliminate all but 100 of the most important items in the home. For a single person, this might be possible, but for a family of 6, not so much. So, I'm going to do the "Reverse 100 thing challenge," which was also mentioned in that book. Instead of keeping only 100 things, I am going to purge 100 things. This weekend....

My birthday was 6 days ago, and I'm just now sitting down to blog about it. I mean, it's not like it's the first time I've sat down, obviously. It's just that at the end of a (read: every) day, I find myself relaxing in a comfier place than at the kitchen table with my laptop. Anyway, my birthday was actually a little more drawn out than usual, which was nice. As I mentioned in the last blog, the kids and I visited my parents in Ohio the weekend before my birthday. My mom bought me some new pajamas (cute gray and blue polka dot pants and a blue shirt) that were sorely needed. I'm actually wearing them right now. She also got me some pretty silver statement jewelry. I'm usually not a jewelry kind of girl, but I want to be, so I need to figure out how to wear my new necklace and earrings without looking like I have no clue. On Thursday morning, my actual birthday, the kids and I slept in (at least I'm pretty sure they slept in too. haha), and since I...

First of all, I'm sorry it's been so long since I've blogged last. Remember when I said I was going to blog every single day? Hahaha. Apparently I'd momentarily forgotten that I have four children. Anyway, let's talk about my weekend. 80) The four kids and I went to Ohio to visit my parents and sister and brother in law for a long weekend. We left VERY early on Thursday morning (4:35 to be more precise). We drove for nearly two hours and stopped in Chesterton, Indiana at a Bob Evans. An aside: Bob Evans is like my family's favorite restaurant to stop at while traveling. Growing up, we'd been to countless Bob Evans restaurants in who knows how many different states. We all got pancakes. The kids also got sausage. Josie decided she needed to cut her own sausage. She worked very hard at it. Also on our stop, Piper got nursed, the older ones took a potty break, and the little ones got their diapers changed. Before we piled into the van, the ...

Yesterday, Josie's Daisy troop went to Swan's Pumpkin Farm. Piper and I tagged along. It was chilly and breezy, but also sunny, which makes for a quintessential fall day. We got to the farm shortly before 11, paid for our wrist bands, and promptly had the girls take a group picture by the giant inflatable pumpkin. L-R: Sawyer, Illiana (in front), Madeline, Mallory, Lexi, Josie, Kaylie, Eva Goofy girls! After pictures, we went on a hayride around the farm. That was a nice relaxing ride. It was also nice to chat with the other parents while the girls played with the hay. Then we went through the Spook House. I really played down the characters since we don't do Halloween, and Josie seemed apprehensive. Next we had lunch. I packed healthier alternatives for us, but the smell of the apple cider donuts was very enticing! I figured Justin would want us to grab some donuts on the way out anyway. A lame puppet show was next, followed by the corn maze. I...

This afternoon the kids and I met up with my friend, Sarah, and four of her five kids for some apple picking fun! We went to Barthel's Farm in Mequon, a town about 30 minutes or so from Milwaukee. We had just been to the same farm a couple months before for strawberry picking. We were originally going to go on Friday with a few other friends. Fridays are the best day for us to do fun activities since Deuce doesn't have school. However, the weather forecast says a really good chance of rain on Friday, and today was a perfect fall day - sunny and cool. We left right after Josie's Daisy meeting, stopped at Sarah's so she could follow us, and then headed to Mequon. We got there around 5, which was a little later than we wanted, but no big deal. There were still a ton of apples to pick! Today we had the options of picking Cortland and Pippin apples. Sarah said that she had a lot of luck with Cortland apples the previous year, so we decided to stick with those. With Pip...

This month I challenged myself to come up with 30 reasons why I loved my husband, and post one each day on Facebook. I successfully completed the challenge, and here are the 30 reasons in no particular order: 1. He always drives. This means that I get to kick back and relax (and possibly nap depending on the distance) whenever we're in the car. Also, he's a very safe and defensive driver. 2. He kisses me every morning before he goes to work, even though I'm usually still asleep. When you consider the potential for morning breath, drool, and ugly sleep face, it's a pretty selfless and sweet gesture. ;0) 3. He's smart AND wise. Justin would have you believe that, because he doesn't have a college degree that he's not as intelligent as the next person, but don't let him fool you. He knows so much about the world due to his experiences, and he'd say that's from making lots of mistakes throughout life. He is a quick learner, and really ...

I think art, in all of its forms, is often overlooked by Christians. We might pick apart the lyrics of a song, without hearing the beautiful melody. Or maybe we won't notice the exquisite beauty of a dancer's arabesque, because we're too busy looking at her outfit. Perhaps we can appreciate a painting on a canvas in an art museum, but not see the same talent when it's in the form of a tattoo. Speaking of tattoos, I always knew that I wanted one that would represent my children, but I couldn't think of anything that I really liked. Then, several weeks ago, I finally came up with a vision. I had an idea, but I needed a true artist to bring it to fruition. With the recommendation of my dear friend, Mo, I contacted a tattoo artist named Josh who turned the image in my mind into a beautiful piece of artwork. And that artwork is now displayed on my arm. And in case you were wondering what you are looking at: the blue flowers on top are irises. They are the flo...

I live a very ordinary life. When I think about my responsibilities as a wife and mother of four young children, it's a little daunting. And let's face it, mundane. Clean, plan meals, cook, feed the kids, wash dishes, do laundry, nurse the baby, change diapers, wipe butts, brush hair, dress kids, tie shoes, kiss booboos, discipline, go to school, go to the park, play, read books, say prayers... There's not much I do that's extraordinary to the untrained eye. On a rough day, when the kids are especially whiny or uncooperative or disobedient, the blessings aren't as easy to see. I get stressed and overwhelmed and irritable. Then I look a little closer. Everyday there are moments of pure bliss. And there is always something to be thankful for. Piper smiles at me like I'm the most important person in the world. Daddy can appease her for a time, but when she wants Mommy, no one else will do. It's a wonderful thing to be needed. Piper is our la...

I recently saw a meme that said something like, "I wish I were as fat as I was the first time I thought I was fat." That isn't exactly true, because I probably started thinking I was fat when I was prepubescent. I have no interest in being the size of a child. It's funny - not haha - that I remember thinking that if I wore a certain pair of leggings when I was 6 years old, I would look like another girl in my class who happened to have thinner legs. Isn't that nuts? And then I look at my own 6 year old daughter, and thank God that she thinks she's beautiful (because she is), and dances like a goofball (and wants me to record her) when she gets the chance. I absolutely love that she is just a kid with no signs of self-confidence issues whatsoever. Even though I've had body image issues my whole life, I do my best to convince my children otherwise. They see that my body is far from perfect, and I don't pretend that there is anything wrong with it. My...

In a day and age when people are constantly distracted by their phones, it's really great to have a conversation with someone face to face. Even when there's a group of people together, it's not uncommon for one person or everyone to be focused on their personal device. And to be clear, I'm just as guilty as anyone, even though I wish I weren't! Well, I got the privilege of spending a significant amount of my day chatting with two different friends at two different times today (yesterday). This morning, I went to Brookfield to get my hair touched up. I wanted it a little shorter in the back, so Joey (the stylist/friend) took care of that for me. Meanwhile, my friend Laura, who lives about 15 minutes away, watched my three older kids. After my appointment, I went over to her house to hang out for a bit while our kids continued to play together. We had a great conversation like we always do when we get together. Today we talked about a lot of Biblical/Spiritual re...

First of all, can I just say that I really like waking up to my kid alarm instead of the one on my phone. My kid alarm usually starts off with snuggles, and eventually turns into, "Mom, get up, I'm hungry." One drawback of the kid alarm is that it's not consistent, but generally it goes off after 7. This morning was pretty standard. There was some cleaning and laundry and playing involved. Then right before noon, my day kicked into high gear. I got all the kiddos in the van and took Deuce to school. Then Josie and I did school. The subject this week is the moon, in case you were interested. Justin got home early, so I was able to pick up Deuce without the other three munchkins. But, I had to hurry home to drop him off at home and pick up Josie to take her to her first Daisy meeting! It was nice for Josie to see some of her classmates from K4 last year. One little girl named Kaylie was very sweet. When she saw Josie, she was like, "hi Josie! Remember me?...

Not too long ago, Justin suggested that I watch a show on Netflix called "The Killing." At first, I admit I was turned off to it, based solely on its name. I figured it would be a violent and gory show. Well, I started watching it, and really liked it! It's a crime procedural drama, but unlike most other shows in that genre, there wasn't a new crime in every episode to be solved. Instead, there's a crime in the first episode, and then it took the next, like 25 shows to develop the characters - the victim's family, the detectives, and the suspects, and to solve the crime. There was a lot more emphasis on dealing with grief and stress of the victim's family that isn't normally addressed in shows where the attention is focused almost entirely on the ones solving the crime. Anyway, it was really great the first two seasons. The third season was just okay. It was still interesting, but it wrapped up too quickly (in comparison to the first two seasons) a...

Sometimes. And other times I'm a total hypocrite, because the place is a total pigsty. Right now my kitchen table looks like this: Dishes, notebook, shirt, water bottles, coffee, sunscreen, shirt, lunch bag, dry erase board... For some reason, it doesn't bother me at the moment. There are other times when I walk into a room and practically go into anaphylactic shock because of the clutter. I think I've figured out why it bothers me sometimes, but not always. If an item has a known home, I don't stress too much. For example, the dishes don't usually stress me out, because I know that once I wash them (later today or tomorrow or next week), they all have specific homes, all in the same vicinity. Now, if there are a bunch of things in a big pile, and their homes are in a dozen different places, then I might need to close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm myself. The worst stress inducers are the things that don't belong anywhere, or th...

It's funny how a short time of playing a little game brightened my day today. It's not that my day was bad, because it wasn't. But a brief game of hide and seek certainly helped me make the most of it. I even wrote a silly poem about it. Don't judge; it's not very good. haha  Hide and Seek Close my eyes and count to ten It's their turn to hide again Ready or not, counting's done Playing with them is really fun Run upstairs to find my dears Pretend to look both far and near Toes peek out, blanket wiggles They can't stop their joyful giggles Pouncing, hugging, tickling, "Found you!" Eyes light up, more giggles too "Okay Mom, now you hide!" Parenting, what an awesome ride.

I just finished my most recent blog post about five minutes ago. Did you like it? What? You didn't read it? It was really long. I titled it "Almost Perfection." It was about the wonderful day I had yesterday. It took me over an hour to write it. What do you mean it's not there? Oh right. Because I got an error on the page, and even after saving my work, I still lost it all. Such a bummer! Oh well... Anyway, here's a quick rundown of what I wrote. * Went to church. * Went to Possibility Playground in Port Washington. It's awesome. * Culver's is expensive. * The weather was PERFECT. * I have really great friends. * Joe and Aaron make a cute "couple." * My kids had a blast. * I treated myself to a coffee frappuccino. * God is good! And that's the abridged version of my wonderful day! ;0)