Hello Gorgeous

I don’t even know where to start with this post…what to say.  Maybe that’s because all three of our kids have the kind of colds that turn your nose into a faucet.  Imagine following your sick toddler/baby around so you can wipe his/her nose before it gets wiped on anything but a tissue and then multiply that by three.  Yes.  Glory days over here.  Anyway, really that’s just an excuse for my lack of words because in reality, your jaw will drop like mine when you see how amazing this kitchen is and speech will evade you.  Backtrack, shall we?  I clued you in on Monday that I’d be sharing my friend Jesse’s gorgeous kitchen here on the blog.  She diy-ed herself from start to finish and only shelled out $425 at that.  I KNOW!  Crazy, right?  I’ll share the show-stopping before’s and after’s today along with a few details and then in the next few weeks, I’ll share details on individual projects in her kitchen while she walks me through.  Stay tuned for that.  But, until then, feast your eyes my friends…

This is her kitchen a few months ago:
 
Originally, the cabinets were white but gross, gross, gross complete with peeling paint, grease, cigarette fumes, and lots of other things you probably don’t want to know about.  Jesse washed, sanded, primed, and repainted them – the bottoms were colored-matched to Curry Green by Eddie Bauer Home (the matching yielded a paint a tad lighter than the swatch) and on the uppers is Crème Fraiche by Valspar.

Presently:

Along with the cabinets, she also mixed a few colors of leftover paint she had on hand to get that amazing color on the walls…and then, like a good friend, she gave me a swatch because she’s awesome like that.  It’s always hard to view the true hue of a paint color via computer/phone/device but it’s light gray/greige-ish (I mean, how do you explain a color in words?)

Her diy-ed runner:

Her runner is actually two Nate Berkus for Target rugs sewn together.  You’d never know it wasn’t one rug.

Before (but after cabinet painting):


After:

The sink area before:


After:

And those gorgeous marble countertops?  DIYed!!!! 
They look even more amazing in person, trust me.

She also put in the subway tile backsplash herself.  She became my new hero the day she told me she was going to do that on her own.

And the little things count too.  Like that concrete planter in the above picture – she made it.

A view from the other direction:

Here’s the other side of her galley kitchen a few months ago:

And here’s the same side now:

Her fridge/freezer used to be off-white but she took some chalkboard paint to it.  It looks superb, no?  Also, out of view, is the previously white range hood that she spray painted black to match the rest of the appliances.



Let’s move further on down the galley, shall we?  Take a gander at this way-before and after:

Jesse replaced the armoire with a small dresser found at a consignment store that she painted the same color as the lower cabinets and made that gorgeous round mirror that hangs above it.  Details on that coming soon. 

An in-process shot:

After:

And to the dining area we gaze:

I couldn’t pick a favorite shot so, another:

Here’s what it used to look like:

Inhabited by the one and onlies, Levi, Abel, and Vera.

And now:

The roman shades hail from Overstock.com.

Jesse gave the base of her round table a coat of white and sanded the top down to it’s natural wood grain.  (Note:  after sanding down the top, she added a wax finish to it that apparently looked awful.  But, while I was at her house taking pictures, she rubbed coconut oil over it and said it’s looked great ever since!)  She found the chairs ‘round it on Craigslist.  Aren’t they awesome?
 

The large frame on the wall was thrifted (for $1!) and she painted the nun symbol inside it with the help of her boys.

And last but not least, turn your eyes skyward to the light.  It too is painted – Faded Seafoam by Valspar.

And that’s it!  I don’t know about yours, but my kitchen’s lower cabinets are screaming for color now and my stainless fridge is longing to get friendly with some chalk.  Next house…

Thank you to Jesse for letting me plaster her kitchen onto this here blog post!  No kitchen this beautiful should be hidden from the virtual world, right?

Stay tuned for project details from Jesse and Jeremy’s kitchen in the coming weeks!  Oh, and ps, say a prayer (or 3955) for us because we’re going to potty train next week again.  Last time things went a little south, only just not where they were supposed to…  

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Bonus pic of what our kids were ransacking while we moms styled and shot:

Levi Spiderman entertaining the twins in the front row, Abel and Vera in the nose bleeds, and Sebastian in his own little world.  :)

Food A La Bebe

Sebastian turned seven months of age last week and so we have the celebratory tie photo:

And instead of telling you all about him and how he lives life these days – scooting, sleeping (all night!), smiling, spitting, chewing…), I thought I’d write up a little post I meant to get to when the twins were his age but didn’t.  Eating.  Specifically though, what he eats.  I am not the first parent to ever have fed their seven month old nor the last so I’m not going to pretend I’m the go-to source on what you should feed your baby when and how much and all that jazz.  But, I will tell you about how we make our own baby food and how awesome it is.  (Note:  I’ve included a few links in the following paragraphs that are affiliate links.  None of the products linked to were gifted to us by their respective companies.  They’re just things we have and love.)  So first…

Why?
”Dude, they like sell pre-made jars at the store that scream zero hassle and 100% convenience, so why make your own food?”  Let me tell ya.  We’re on this tiny little thing called a budget and it’s a pretty tight one.  You might’ve figured that one out if you’ve read the blog for longer than a week.  Anthony and I are still paying off student loans plus we’ve created a lifestyle that allows me to stay at home with our kids (even though some days I long to get up, dressed, and ready to hit the town er…work).  We also cloth diaper which saves a TON of moolah (read all about that here).  Point is, making our own baby food helps us keep our bills down and me at home.

[Throwback from when the girls were circa 8-9 months young and peas, in case you were wondering.]

Also, when you make your own baby food, you know exactly what’s going into (and out of, ha!) their bodies.  No worries about preservatives and all that mumbo jumbo.

What?
Everything.  Everything you can find in a jar at the store, you can make at home for a lot less.  A week ago, Anthony bought $8.20 worth of organic produce from a local market (sweet potatoes, zucchini, apples, and bananas).  Pureed, all of that produce will feed Sebastian for 42 days if he eats his normal half a cup per day (4 oz.).  Buying that much Gerber baby food (plastic canisters of non-organic puree) would cost us $24.72.  Going the organic and more comparable route, buying 42 jars of Earth’s Best organic baby food would cost us $41.27.  So, for a little bit of work, we’re getting fresh, organic baby food and saving a good chunk of change.  Now, double that and you’ll realize why we took this route with the twins.  :)

How?
The Baby Brezza.
 
Amazing.  I was gifted this by a good friend at the twins’ baby shower and it’s been one of the most (if not the most) valuable gift I’ve received.  It might seem a little much to shell out several $10 bills for this baby but even if we hadn’t received it as gift, we would have forked over that $$ knowing how easy this makes the process.  It makes making your own food a cinch because it steams and purees your food all-in-one.  All you have to do is cut up whatever it is you’re cooking, toss it in, press a few buttons and off it goes and off you can go until it beeps ‘done’.  Just want to steam?  It does it.  What about skipping the steam and pureeing?  Yep.  Welcome to twenty-fourteen everyone!


The Cooking for Baby cookbook.
 
The same person who gave us the Baby Brezza gave us this cookbook.  I have lots of knowledge inside the nog pertaining to painting and creating, very little about cooking.  However, this cookbook holds my hand through recipes and among the simple recipes it has those that make me feel like a gourmet chef.  Amaranth & plum swirl?  Got it.  Roasted red pepper & goat cheese puree?  Yep.  (However, its recipes need to be tailored to using the Baby Brezza…a.k.a. it assumes you’re going the steamer and pan route when you’re actually cutting those out if you use the Brezza.)  On top of divulging delish recipes even you will want to make for yourself (“Honey, we’re having silken tofu & peach puree for dinner.”), it’s divided into sections based on baby’s age and also has tips like “how often & how much” that most first-time parents (and even third-time parents like me who forget) know nothing about.

Tools.
Besides our beloved Brezza, we’ve found it helpful to have a peeler on hand (we’ve had this one going on seven years now) and an apple corer (like this one).  You can find both of these at Bed, Bath, & Beyond and Target too.  Little things like this just cut down on prep time because, let’s face it, if you’re in the business of making baby food, chances are you have a baby and babies need attention, lots and lots of attention which leaves you with little and littler time.  #amiright  #oramiright

I know there are lots more little tools like these that cater to convenience so if you have any you use, please share!
 

Where?
Alternately titled ‘Storage’.
Usually when I make a batch of food for Seb, I stick one jar in the fridge and the rest all go into the freezer where they sit until the day before they’re needed.  Here’s a good FYI on food storage limits – Freezing Homemade Baby Food via Momtastic’s Wholesome Baby Food.

When the twins were at the puree stage, we bought several jars of pre-made baby food while on a trip away from home and saved those jars to store our homemade stuff in.  They’re the perfect size (obviously, considering what they held), easy to store, and can go straight from freezer to microwave.


We also use this Beaba freezer tray.  It has compartments that hold perfectly-sized proportions for the beginner-eater and all you have to do to empty a frozen compartment is turn it upside down and press the bottom of that compartment in until the food slides out.  
    

Also, if you’re on-the-go, grab a few of these reusable baby food pouches, fill them with your homemade stuff, and go.  No need to spend the $1 or more those things cost at the store.  (We didn’t use these with the girls but plan on grabbing a few for the boy.)


A few other helpful links:
What to feed baby and when
The “Dirty Dozen” – the twelve most pesticide-contaminated foods and the twelve least
Making homemade baby food according to Hello Little Scout
Tasty recipes from Amber at 3 Ladies & Their Gent

I hope this is helpful to anyone interested in venturing into baby food making.  I’m open to questions and advice from veterans so if you have either of those, leave a note in the com box! 

Happy pureeing!

J & J’s Kitchen – A Sneak Peek

Remember when I wrote about my friend Jesse and how she was painting her kitchen countertops to look as if they were marble?  Well, she’s done and her kitchen countertops are just the icing on the cake.  I went over last week and took some pictures of her incredible kitchen and dining space and I can’t stop looking at them because the transformation is SO AMAZING.  And you won’t believe how much it cost…or didn’t cost.  I have all the goodness to share later this week so stay tuned.  Until then, here’s a teaser to keep you on the edge of your seat:

Fringe Benefits

That title should really read “The Easiest Infinity Fringe Scarf to Make Ever Ever Ever With Only a Tee and Scissors” but I was afraid I’d come off a little too vague.  So, let’s leave it and let me explain.  A long time ago I pinned Lakeland Local’s tutorial on how to make a nifty fringe scarf out of a tee shirt.  Then, a long time ago, I made one for myself using an old tee I had laying around.  Ta-da:


A short time ago I was about to toss an old tank into the donate pile when the idea struck again and two more mini fringe scarves made their way onto two mini necks:

[Stolen from this Instagram]

They’re simple, no-sew, and really cheap to make (or free if you reuse like I did!)  They can be worn in the winter:


They can be worn in the summer:



I made mine out of a cotton/spandex blend tee and like how the fringe strings curled in at the sides.  The tank the girls’ scarves are made out of was straight up cotton so the fringe strings are basically long rectangles with no curling.  Both versions are pretty snazzy doncha think?

[And speaking of snazz, the girls are dripping with it above, no?]

Target must think so too because they’re carrying these right this second:

via Target.com

They’re a little longer therefore able to be wrapped twice ‘round the neck (like S & C’s) so if you’d prefer the length, all you’d have to do is find an XL tee to cut up or sew a strip of a knit fabric together at it’s short ends making one big circle, and then cut the fringe strips all along one edge. 

If you make one, let me know so we can be BFFs, that is Best Fringe Foreva.  Okay?  Okay.  #passthecheese

Referee Chic

I haven’t done many alterations since Sebastian was born but a couple of months ago my best friend was here and while shopping with her, I scored a black and white striped dress for three bucks at Dirt Cheap (it was Xhilaration, originally from Target).  I had Sebastian strapped to my chest per the usual so I didn’t get to see the inside of the fitting room but I just scooped it up anyway (knowing there was a no return policy) and home we went.  Then I tried it on.  The pattern?  Loved it.  The fit?  Bad, bad, bad.  I had do something and quick so I got out my sewing machine and slimmed the sides of the skirt.  Things went from bad to better and it could probably still use a little more slimming and shaping in the waist area but for now…
Much better, wouldn’t ya say?

In my haste, I didn’t take a-one picture of my process but basically I laid the dress out flat, pinned and sewed two straight lines down either side of the skirt, cutting out two triangular pieces of excess fabric from either side.  Having vertical stripes helped because as long as I followed those, I was good.

I love how versatile this dress is!  I can dress it up, down, and sideways.  I shared this sneak peek on Instagram awhile back.  Let’s refer to it as “The Concert Goer”:

[Except the last concert I went to was………..long before kids.]

Then there’s “Her Husband’s Date”:

[See how I still managed to keep the small curve up to the side seam?  I love that part.  :) ]

And the “Throw a Sweater Over It Because It’s Chilly”:


And my very favorite aspect, all the colors of cardigans that there every were can be matched up with it and live in synchronized harmony:

Fingers crossed, this dress brought me out of sewing stagnation so stay tuned for more snips and tucks!

Peace Out…and In

I’ve always had a plan in my noggin’ to have the words “Pax Tecum” somewhere in our entry way.  The phrase means “Peace be with you” in Latin.  I like the idea of wishing our visitors peace as they enter and leave the main entrance of our home and so a-brainstormin’ I went to figure out how to get those words somewhere around there – a wooden plaque over the door, a framed printable… 

On the other side of my brain, I’ve been trying to think of something out of the ordinary that could fill the empty space above the hook system in the entry.
 
My first thought was to whip up some colorful abstract art but the roman shade has all the abstract that space needs.  More picture frames just seems too normal and another mirror or two would just be too much since there’s a mirror on the opposite wall.  Two issues; one simple solution.  Words + empty space = words in empty space. 

You might’ve already guessed that if you saw this picture when I wrote about painting the front door:   
Those letters are simply cut out of computer paper and sticky-tacked up.  I wasn’t sure about the size and layout I wanted so we sat around with those hanging for a good month. 

The end result looks a tad different:

I saw these paper mache letters at JoAnn Fabrics a while ago and thought they’d be perfect for this project only I didn’t know if I should just buy them or attempt to make my own.  At $2.99 each they’re not quite as cheap as some DIYed versions could be, but in the end I weighed the number of hours it would take me to DIY them vs. throwing them in a shopping bag and, well, you know, kids, very little free time…buying them won out.  But, I waited for a sale ($1 off) and used coupons so in the end I ended up only paying about $1.70 a letter.  They also have some huge letters of the same sort that would be amazing monograms anywhere in a home.  They’re around $10 ($5 if you can get your fingers on a 50% off coupon!) and I’m thinking maybe the girls’ room could use some.  :)

The letters are the color of cardboard (an obvious note) and I actually didn’t mind them sans any sort of paint or paper addition but up against the tan wall in the entry, they were blah.  So I pulled out some white primer and spruced them up a bit. 

First I painted the edges of each letter.  I had to do two coats for full coverage.


I wanted a thin border around front edges of each letter so I used some painters’ tape to get straight edges.  This could definitely be free-handed and parts of the letters, like the curve in the P, had to be free-handed no matter what.


To attach them to the wall I used these Command mounting strips.  They’re like velcro.

I didn’t realize until I was unpacking these things that there were only four strips vs. the eight I had thought (says it right on the package…face palm).  So, I improvised by cutting them in half (vs. running to Walmart with three kids for one little thing).


I did a lot of thinking about how to use these strips in the days before I hung the letters, over-thinking that is.  In my head my process was to mark with a pencil where the wall strip would go right on the wall, hold the letter up, trace a part of the letter onto the wall…well, let’s just say all this thinking was completely unnecessary.  I’d blame it on lack of sleep but everyone in this house has been sleeping through the night so I’ll have to get back to you with another excuse later……….

Ehem, as directed on the package (which I didn’t read until it was go time…heello), I attached one side of the strip to the letter being hung…
 

then velcro’ed it’s counterpart to it…


…peeled off the sticky backing to the wall strip, and stuck the letter to the wall.  I used our level to make sure all was on the straight and narrow.


Even with the velcro strips holding them up, the letters still wiggled a bit (maybe because I used halfsies?) and even though no one’s going to be wigglin’ them, I added a couple of pieces of sticky tack to them for added stability.
Those letters ain’t goin’ nowhere.

Pax Tecum y’all.


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A One, A Two, A One Two Three

Disclaimer:  This post is ALL about our kids – read:  grandparent and relative reading.  So, if you enjoy reading minor details about other people’s kids, this one will fit your bill.  If not, well, you can’t say I didn’t warn ya.  ;)

July was a milestone month ova here.  The twins turned big TWO on the ninth and little (big) Seb turned point five on the third.  Crazy.  I’ve never been that mom who cries tears over her babies growing up mainly because, yo, having three kids under the age of two is SO HARD!  Seriously.  In all humility I tell you, there is no juggler more able to juggle than me.  We have zero family within seven hours of us so most of the time, we’re on our own as far as the raising part goes (but we do have some incredible friends, thank the Lord, who have stepped in willingly during dire situations).  BUT, I’m that mom now.  All of a sudden these two tiny baby girls are big girls and our little man is a chunker and I’m in a fit of sadness because, where has the time gone??!!  I’ve been living day by day, literally surviving some days, longing for the day when “they can sit on their own”, “they can finally eat real food so I don’t have to breastfeed two at once so often”, “they sleep through the night”, “they can walk so I don’t have to carry them eeeverywhere”, “they can just tell me what they want so the guessing games can stop”, “he can sit up on his own so I don’t have to carry him and deal with two tots scratching at my legs to be held becauseI’mhomealoneandIonlyhavetwoarmsandtheyallneedmeatonceI’mgoingtogoinsanehelpppp”.  Breathe.  And now, take me back.  Back to those lamby cries and the ultra-dependency…okay, only for a minute though.  You know?  If you have triplets or twins or multiple little children, you know.  If you have one kid, you know.  You might not know all of the craziness that inhabits this place but, you know. 

Anyway, let me indulge you with my pictures of and details of our kids to make myself feel better.  Here they are, three ducks in a row:

[Onesies > Personal Creations | Headbands > homemade | Jorts > Target | Shoes > Target via Dirt Cheap] 
These are my attempts at a little b-day photoshoot.  It was me, the kids, the backyard, and five thousand mosquitos trying to thwart my efforts, not to mention childhood ADD.  But, despite all that, how cute are the baseball rompers that Personal Creations sent us?  They were so sweet and even customized them.  I asked them to put the girls names on theirs and stamp Sebastian’s to mirror daddy’s high school football jersey.  I’m thinking the blank fronts are going to make a great medium for some freezer paper stenciling, right? 
 

So, let’s break it down now, one-by-little-one.

Seraphia.  First born.  Pretty much the atypical oldest child.  Shy.  Super sensitive.  Won’t go outside of a five foot radius of mom and pops in public.  Has mad skills in leg-hanging.  Copies everything Cecilia does.  Gets mad and makes an angry face but can’t hold it long enough to make anyone thinks she’s serious.  Tough (person in) crowd…a.k.a. hard to get her to laugh.  Excellent fake crier (proof).  The silent, smart type. 

Has wavy hair with super curly ends that makes the cutest little ponies and piggies.  Funny runner.  Loves walking on her tip toes.  Listens when we say ‘no’.  Has an attitude that comes out when she’s needing attention that she’s not getting.  Scared of many things – the ocean, jumping off the couch, sliding down slides, bugs, Cecilia… 

So affectionate.  Loves to kiss mommy and daddy’s knees (because they’re right at her level) and feet.  Has earned herself at least 10 M&M’s for doing her business in the loo in the past 10 days.  Compared to C, rarely sits in time-out.  Etcetera, etcetera.  In a nutshell, she’s a real sweetheart with a large side of lush and a small side of sass.

[Swimsuit:  Target]


Cecilia.  Second born (by five 60-second chunks).  Oh boy, this girl.  Claiming neutrality when it comes to sensitivity.  Let her loose in public and good luck finding her.  Professional instigator.  Laughs at everything.  Dramatic crier.  Talks way more than her older counterpart, counts, yells the ABC’s.  However, she goes mute in public.

Perm not needed.  Jumps, runs, and dives like a five year old.  Anthony used to call her his “little linebacker” and she still is…pint-sized but the girl packs a punch.  “No” is a game.  Attitude Central.  Scared of the dark, some bugs, and nothing else.

   Pretty affectionate.  Needs all her “owies’ kissed right away.  Rough with Seraphia; gentle with Sebastian (usually).  Forget the toilet.  Knows the time-out corner very well.  Sometimes I want to squeeze her for being so dang cute and others for being so dang defiant.  You know how it goes.
 

 

Oh our girls.  The best of friends and the worst of friends.  Their two year doc appointment showed their stats to be almost the same making them…you guessed it…!twins! in almost the fullest degree.  Small heads, tall bodies, small weights.  Grounded apples close to their trees.

[Seraphia’s dress:  thrifted (Xhilaration) | Cecilia’s dress:  hand-me-down (shirt w/out tags)]


And then, Sebastian.  It’s now a few days before he hits seven months of age but I might as well throw in his sixth month picture:

Generally happy.  Very attached to his momma; much more so than his sisters were at his age (although sometimes I feel like he just views me as food…will have to have a talk with him about objectifying asap).  Currently on day/night three of sleep training and it’s going pretty well.  Sitting on his own.  Up on hands and knees any chance he gets.  Loves when I sing to him.  Mega-watt (and two-toothed) smile.  Giggles when his sisters fall to get his attention.  Excellent eater.  Seriously.  Caught on to spoon-feeding like that.  We haven’t been to the doc for his six month check-up yet but I’m betting on pretty high percentiles in height and weight. 

[Owner of one, mean bald spot.]


One, two, and three.  We love them so dang much and can’t wait to have more so…..

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…..meday. 

;)