The Big White Farmhouse | intentional living, little by little

January 30, 2013

{30 days of pinspiration} Day 13: Laundry Room Inspiration Board

I am writing today’s post from the laundry room. Well not really, but I might as well be. With four children and an active husband, I seem to be in there on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. Oh laundry, you are a chore I am learning to love…

Anyway, if I am going to spend so much time in one room, I might as well make it pretty to look out and be in, right? Painting, organizing and decorating time! If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen this picture:

This was the moment when inspiration hit! After I got my thoughts on paper, I checked my Pinterest boards for a few more ideas and this is what I came up with:

I plan on painting the room the same color as the first floor, Benjamin Moore’s Manchester Tan. I’m just a little bit in love. Neutral, but not drab.

1. We currently have wire shelving above our washer and dryer. They are fine and get the job done, but I hope to eventually replace them with white cabinets and a hanging rod.
2. I love the vintage look of schoolhouse lights. I think this one would work (different from the one pictured, since it is semi-flushmount vs. a pendant).
3. This rug from West Elm is beautiful and in the blue/gray palette I’m going for.
4. I have one small window in the room. Still undecided, but I’m thinking bamboo blinds (to add a different texture) or possibly roman shades. This tutorial is for the faux version and no sew!
5. Since the laundry room also doubles as a makeshift mudroom, we’ve got all kinds of craziness going on. Shoes are everywhere! I’m hoping to pick up two of these Ikea shoe cabinets soon to get things under control.
6. My husband frequently wears a shirt and tie for work, so the ironing board actually gets some use! I’m hoping to find a space to hang ours up like this.

So that’s the plan! What about you? What’s your laundry area like? Seen any great ideas on Pinterest? Please share!

January 29, 2013

{30 days of pinspiration} Day 12: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

As part of our resolutions this year, my little family is trying to cut out processed foods. The transition has been pretty painless…until we get to the sweet section of the store. Goodbye Oreos. See ya later Chips Ahoy! To satisfy our sweet tooths (teeth?), I’ve decided to make cookies here at home. Hence, my Pinterest board, The Cookie Project, was born! Today’s recipe is a good one. I added a big handful of chocolate chips to mine, but you definitely don’t need them…they are delicious as is.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
orginial recipe from The Girl who Ate Everything, chocolate chips are my addition 🙂

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ sticks butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1½ cups old-fashioned oats
1 heaping cup raisins
1 cup milk chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Melt butter and let cool slightly.
3. Mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the cinnamon, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk for 2 minutes or until light and creamy. Mix in the flour mixture until just blended. Add the oats, raisins, and chocolate chips. Mix until just blended.
5. Bake 14-16 minutes, until the edges are brown and the centers still slightly soft. Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

January 28, 2013

{30 days of pinspiration} Day 11: Snow Crafts with the Kiddos

Happy Monday, friends! How was your weekend? Did you see snow in your neck of the woods? We heard rumors of 4-6 inches, but ended up only getting a dusting. My boys were ecstatic anyway!

Afterwards, my oldest and I snuck away and did a snow day craft, just the two of us. We don’t get one-on-one time very often these days. It was special.

The pin is from the blog, Art, Paper, Scissors. For maximum creativity, I explained the craft to M without showing him the picture. The result was so him! It is now taped proudly on our wall.

In the mood to do a few wintery activities with your little ones? Check out these links:

“Throw a Snowball” game from I Can Teach my Child
Marshmallow Snowman from Happy Home Fairy
Snowman Pizza from delia creates
Macaroni Snowflakes from katy elliott

January 25, 2013

{30 days of pinspiration} Day 10: Quiet Strength

A little known fact about me: I love football. I love the strategy of the game and the comraderie of the fans. And even though I am a die-hard New England Patriots fan (and yes, let’s not talk about last week…), I have a lot of respect for many other players and coaches. One of those is the former coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Tony Dungy.

His book, Quiet Strength, has been on my Pinterest “Book List” board for weeks now. So with the end of the football season near, I decided now was a good time to read!

All in all, I enjoyed it. Some parts were easier to read than others. I stumbled through the name-heavy parts as well as some of the game play-by-plays. But the life lessons alone were worth the read. So many nuggets of truth. I jotted many of them down; I know they will be helpful as we raise these boys of ours.

Food for thought from the book:

“To whom much is given, much is required–whether it’s privileges, responsibilities, or material items. And if God has given you a lot of ability, I believe you should be held to a higher level of expectation.” –from page 19

During one season, he studied the book of Nehemiah:
“I learned three key truths from Nehemiah. First, Nehemiah’s opportunity came in God’s time, not his own. Second, Nehemiah diligently prepared his mind and his heart so he would be ready when God’s time arrived. Third, Nehemiah needed to be prepared to take on the problems, doubt, and adversity that would come his way both from the outside and from within.” –from page 87

What he expected of his players as a head coach (I love this list for my boys too!):

“Be a pro.
Act like a champion.
Respond to adversity; don’t react.
Be on time. Being late means either it’s not important to you or you can’t be relied on.
Execute. Do what you’re supposed to do when you’re supposed to do it. Not almost. All the way. Not most of the time. All of the time.
Take ownership.

Whatever it takes. No excuses, no explanations.” –page 116

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