The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

{house to home} William Morris Project (Vol.3): Toy Closet Organization

The saying, “everything has a place”, is one lesson that I am trying to adapt in our home.  For whatever reason, I seem to really struggle in this area!  But with four kids and gobs of toys, it’s a necessary step in our house to home process.

So one day during naptime, I grabbed all of the toys strewn in multiple places throughout the first floor and started organizing.    

All of the broken toys went straight to the trash.  I then went through and took out the toys that I thought were never played with.  A tip that worked for me: Take these toys and put them in a box in the garage for a week.  Wait and see if your kids mention any of the toys.  If you get a “Hey Mom, have you seen my black Spiderman figure?”, discreetly pluck it from the box.  If they don’t say anything, they’re none the wiser and send ’em all to Goodwill!


All of the keepers were put in two big baskets that perfectly fit in my coat closet.  One basket holds all of the dress-up stuff: costumes, lightsabers, and Nerf guns.  The other holds miscellaneous toys like Little People toy sets and footballs.  

Feels good to have a hold on the toy situation for now!  How do you deal with your kids’ toys?  Please share your tips and tricks!  

{chit chat} If You Came Over for Coffee…



It’s been awhile since we talked, like really talked.  So pretend you’re sitting at my dining room table with a big cup of coffee and let’s catch up.

 Well first, I’ll run you up to my closet to show you the new clothes I got from a new website I found.  The site is called Twice and they sell gently used, like new name-brand clothes for cheap!  I bought a few things for fall and am so pleased with everything.  I definitely recommend.

 My boys will inevitably find us and claim that they are soooo hungry (aren’t they always?!), so we’ll head downstairs to feed the crew.  I just bought another Paleo cookbook called Against All Grain: Delectable Paleo Recipes to Eat Well & Feel Great and I can’t wait to try a few new recipes.  Although if I’m being honest, all of the new flours and ingredients are quite intimidating to me!  

With the kids busy, we can finally sit.  And enough with the silly things.  Let’s talk about important heart matters.  Without saying too much, I’ve had a hard few months in my marriage.  I’ve always been told that marriage ebbs and flows, that there are periods of highs and periods of lows.  And here at almost eight years, we hit our first low.  Thankfully, I do believe we are finally on the upswing of things.  I share this with you to not only ask for your prayers, but also to say that marriage is worth it.  It is the hardest thing I have ever done, but also the most worthwhile.  I really recommend this blog post from Jami Nato on forgiveness: “The Most Expensive Gift I Ever Gave.”  Our stories are not the same, but I found great comfort in reading her words.  


One of the parts I’ve been praying on: “…and so when we forgive, we mirror Christ’s forgiveness. We pay the tab. We stop making our spouse pick up the check. We say, no more. You can’t pay enough for this. This is the Gospel lived out in a tangible way. You recognize the darkness of your own heart and see the need for Jesus to save you. And that gift that God gave you, you give to others because you are just as terrible. And I’m not going to lie, it is difficult and hard and grievous to walk these steps in front of you. But you can because Jesus did.”  Forgiveness is a lesson we can apply to all of our lives, no?


Thanks for listening.  How are YOU?  What’s new in your world? 

{house to home} William Morris Project (Vol.2): Children’s Artwork Wall

My kids are always creating.  Most of the time they are on their own, drawing in the gobs of composition books scattered around the house.  But sometimes, when I’m feeling brave, I break out the real supplies: construction paper and paint, glue and markers.  While I hate the mess, these projects always become my favorite. So in an effort to personalize our home, I wanted a place to display the kids’ creations.  I knew there had to be a more stylish way than just taping them up to the walls and kitchen cabinets!       

We have a big wall in our kitchen that was the perfect space.  I picked up eight RIBBA frames from IKEA; I love the clean look and you can’t beat the price!  I used the newspaper method for the placement.

And after a morning of work, here is the final result:

I love it.  It adds so much color to the otherwise neutral area.  I love that the boys are so proud to see their pieces on display.  I also like that it will be simple to change out the pieces as they grow.  

What have you done this week to make your house feel more like home?

{health} My Journey to Health: An Update

As hokey and overused as the word “journey” is, there really isn’t a better word to describe the past eight months.  Back in January, I was at least thirty pounds overweight and miserable.  I felt terrible about myself and the example I was setting for my daughter.  I knew I needed to make a change.  


I truly believe that is the first step to health: you need to want it.  BAD.  You need to commit to the entire process: the good, the bad and the ugly.  And so I began with baby steps.  I knew I’d never stick with it if I made radical changes all at once, so I started small and went from there.  One week, my only goal was “Drink more water”.  Really!  Another week I tried to eat something green everyday.  Small, attainable changes that weren’t intimidating.


As the weeks went on, I grew more courageous in both my exercise and my eating.  I started Insanity in March and completed seven weeks before I quit due to the stress in my knees.  I trained for a 5K and completed my very first race in May.  I soon grew to love fitness and wanted to try a little bit of everything!  Weight training, pilates and lots of running filled most of my summer.  I frequently varied my exercise to avoid boredom and burnout and there is so much you can do!


A few of the websites and apps I’ve used:

+ Tone it Up!
+ Nike Training Club app
+ Runkeeper app
+ Blogilates
+ Fitness Blender


In June, I spontaneously decided to complete a Whole30 before going on vacation.  While my original intention was just to lose a few extra pounds, the benefits of Paleo eating were amazing.  I have since adopted an 80%/20% mentality and it has really changed my world.  Look for a separate post about that soon!

Fast forward to today.  I am 30 pounds lighter and have learned to love this amazing body of mine.  For the first time in a long time, I am proud of myself and what I’ve accomplished.  And that feels good.



P.S. If you are on your way to health and need some encouragement, I would love to hear from you.  The support I received from family, friends and even Instagram “strangers” was so helpful and appreciated and I would love to pay it forward.  

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