The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

{i want to remember} – 6/29/12

Sometimes life gets so busy that I forget to notice and appreciate the little things. Here are some of the things I am loving lately:

I WANT TO REMEMBER… searching for the ever-elusive J, only to find him (sitting cross-legged, no less!) playing Legos with his brothers.  My sweet boy is growing right before my eyes.

I WANT TO REMEMBER… how much fun the boys had during our first visit to the beach this year.  They all played so nicely and independently that I wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself!  Perhaps this is the year I can actually read a book?!

I WANT TO REMEMBER… that old cell phones are great entertainment for little kids.  The big boys found a couple of my out-dated phones (circa 2005?) and they have played with them for hours!  I love that they call them their “Iphones”!

I WANT TO REMEMBER… the notes and drawings I find scattered around the house.  I’ve been leaving paper and crayons out in the dining room with the intention of assisting independent creativity. So far, big hit!
 
I WANT TO REMEMBER… how much I love and appreciate my husband.  While I’m wallowing in self-pity with an achy pregnant body, whiny kids and never-ending days, I want to always remember his sacrifice for our family too.  We are a team and we are on this crazy adventure together.  

{home} Getting Ready to Sell: A Mini Bathroom Update

The master bathroom in my house has much to be desired, at least compared to a lot of other homes.  We don’t have the separate tub and walk-in shower, double sinks or lots of storage space.  Instead, our bathroom is small and functional, with builder’s grade everything and little pizzazz.  Master bathroom = boring.  

Now that we are preparing to put the house on the market, I wanted to add some interest to this room.  So while it may be on the small side, a potential buyer would walk in and say “Wow!” instead.  

Step one: replace the shower rod and curtain.  I am a bad blogger and neglected to get a “before” picture, but imagine an old silver rod and a seen-better-days shower curtain from our newlywed days (almost 7 years ago).  A quick trip to Target and this is what we have now:

We purchased a curved shower curtain in oil-rubbed bronze (similar to this) and a white waffle-patterned shower curtain.  I love the change!  It’s a great start, but can you see my problem now?  The shower curtain is “true white”, which makes the builder’s grade white wall paint look…dingy.  Like not white.  So paint is definitely on the to-do list for this room, along with:

   
I also want to get new towel rods in oil-rubbed bronze and some crisp, white towels.  Hopefully these changes (while staying in a $200 or less budget) will have a big impact!  What are your tips for staging a bathroom?  What do you look for in a master bath when you are house hunting?  I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments!

{link list} 6.27.12 Edition


I love link lists. There’s nothing better than word of mouth, so when a blogger recommends a recipe, a new shop or a great read, I am all about it! Here are a few things I’ve come across this week…


1. Well summer is officially here!  And when temperatures are scorching, I think ice cream is in order.  Wouldn’t a neighborhood ice cream social be a fun summer party?  I loved this ice-cream shaped pinata and be sure to scroll to the end to see a great list of sundae topping ideas.  

2. Need an easy idea for dinner tonight?  I made these Lasagna Roll-Ups last week from Natalie’s blog…delish!  

3. These printable coupons are really fun.  I think they’d be useful for behavioral motivators around here…now to figure out how to implement it.

4. Laura at Bits of Splendor is launching Project Hope, a ministry for families that have lost  babies through miscarriage.  Her goal is to make 100 memory boxes and she needs our help!  Here is the post with the list of needs…maybe you can donate something?

5. I loved this etsy roundup of little girl headbands!  Do any of you Mammas have a favorite source for bows and other hair accessories?

6. This idea for liquid sidewalk chalk looks like something my boys would love.  I’m curious though if it would stain?  Not sure my husband would be very happy to come home to a Candy Land looking sidewalk!  

7. Came across this book, Cleaning House: A Mom’s Twelve-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement and I’m curious to read it.  Love this quote from the author: “Here’s to seeing what can happen when we tell our kids, ‘I believe in you, and I’m going to prove it by putting you to work.'”


8. tastes orangey is an etsy store I found carrying original paintings and prints by Clare Elsaesser.  I was really drawn to her paintings with water…must be summer, I guess!  Married to the Sea, Long Walk, and Island are my favorites.  Oh! And if you order by July 29th, you can get 15% off with her Honeymoon Sale (use the code HONEYMOON)!

{family} Slow Down

“Being in a hurry. Getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage I’ve ever gained from being in a hurry. But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the wake of all the rushing…. Through all that haste I thought I was making up time. It turns out I was throwing it away.”  –Ann Voskamp

What is it about summer and why does it go by so fast?  I can’t believe that we’re almost to July already.  I ran across the quote above and it really made me stop and think.  Preparing for all of these new life changes has put me in an “in the future” mentality – my thoughts seem always to fall to “when the baby arrives”, “when we put this house on the market”, “when we open the boutique”, etc etc.  

And while all of that preparation is important, am I missing out on the here and now?  Am I not seeing the beauty and the goodness right in front of my eyes…today?  Am I not soaking   in my three boys at the ages and stages they are at?  Lots to think about and my new goal for July: slow down and enjoy today.  




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