The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

{family favorites} Dinosaurs

One of my favorite “kid spaces” in my home right now is located on the bookcase in our living room.  It has lovingly been dubbed “The Art Gallery” and it showcases the boys’ best crafts and paintings.  But after a spring and summer full of fun, the shelf was pretty full.  I’ve had the task of clearing it out on my to-do list for weeks now, but I’ve majorly been procrastinating.  I love to look at that little space and all the memories that go along with the crafts. 

So as a way to record those little memories before they get packed away or hit the trash, I want to share one unit we did this spring: dinosaurs! 

Just part of our dinosaur unit!

I don’t know what makes dinosaurs so appealing, but M and D are fascinated by them.  It was fun to play off of their interests.  I think we learned a lot that week, me included! 

In case you’ve got a little guy at home in love with dinosaurs too, these are some of our favorite books:

I wish I had taken more pictures of that week!  We did so many fun activities: made a dinosaur from the letter “D”, created fossils from coffee grounds, colored a mini book, had a puppet show, made a T-Rex from a toilet paper roll, ate dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets for dinner and more!

Thanks for taking that little trip down memory lane with me.  I’m excited to create new memories in our learning adventures with my little guys.  So stay tuned, we start next week!

{home} Living Room Update: Reupholstered Chairs

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that this project has been over a year in the making!  Last spring, I found two chairs in an antique store and fell in love with the curve of the backs.  So I brought my sweet husband to see them and asked if they could be my Mother’s Day gift.  Thankfully he obliged, although he doesn’t quite understand why I get so excited about sheets and chairs instead of roses and chocolates! 

Soon after I got them home, I spraypainted them black.  And then they sat.  And sat.  And sat. 

It took a conversation with my husband (“Frankly, I don’t even notice the oriental design on the chairs anymore”) for me to get my bum in gear and choose a fabric.  I made my inspiration board.  I was ready to purchase.  So imagine my minor panic attack when the etsy seller had already sold out!  

I decided to go with the big guys and to my surprise, the fabric was even on sale!  

I’m in love.  I love the color.  I love the slightly modern design that is still quite complimentary to the rest of my home.  I love a finished project.  I love it, I love it, I love it! (That’s a nod to Molly Shannon for all you non-SNL addicts!)  

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Here is a breakdown of what’s left on my to-do list for the living room:

Rip up old carpet and replace with hardwood flooring
Recover chairs with chevron fabric
Make pillows from chevron fabric
Make pillows with floral patterned fabric
Buy mirror for above the fireplace
Purchase map for above the couch and frame with molding
Make console for behind the couch
Decide on new coffee table solution
Find neutral rug
Find two lamps for the console table

Whew…so much more to accomplish!  I better get to work! 
Have a great weekend! 

{read along} Mitten Strings for God: Wants and Needs

Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry“…many of us are just as confused as our children.  We fail to distinguish real needs from wants, and we focus on what we don’t have rather than on the abundant gifts that are already ours.  When we are consumers, we teach our childrenthat it is good to consume.  When we try to resolve conflicts or to buy happiness by spending money, we teach our children to look outside themselves when they feel needy…On the other hand, when we pause long enough to give thanks for the abundance of daily life, when we feel good about what we have right now, we teach our children a valuable lesson: We help them accept that they can’t have everything they want, and we reassure them they they do have everything they need.” 
– Katrina Kennison, pages 65-66

In the land of instant gratification, I think this topic is one that I have to revisit often.  When I see a new product on a blog or pin beautiful homes on Pinterest, it is easy to focus on what I don’t have.  Instead, I have to make sure I focus on gratitude…in the grand scheme of things, I do have everything I need. 

What are your thoughts on wants vs. needs?

{ramblings} How to De-Funk

A FUNK.  I think every mother gets that way sometimes.  The perfect storm of sleepless nights and long days, endless chores and a list of to-dos.  For me, I usually can feel it coming.  When the laundry starts piling up and I speak an unkind word, I know it’s close.  And then the doubts come: Am I a good mother?  Am I cut out for this job?  

I hope I’m not alone in this.

But I can’t stay this way for long.  My boys still need me and whether I like it or not, I set the tone for our family.  Unhappy mama, unhappy home.  So I pull myself up by my bootstraps and keep moving.  Here are a few things I do to “de-funk”:

  • Look for the beauty in the chaos.  Even though there may be toys scattered across my living room, I look at the sweet drawing of our family that M made yesterday.  I look at the single bloom sprouting in the middle of our neighbor’s yard.  If I am intentional, I am guaranteed to find something happy and beautiful.
  • Clean. Those dishes in the sink?  The crumbs on the floor from breakfast?  Clean ’em up!  Maybe it’s a little OCD in me, but I feel calm when my house is in order.  Now that comes with realistic expectations.  I have three boys and God willing, more in the future.  My house will never look like a magazine.  But I know my trigger points (I get stressed with cluttery countertops and dirty dishes), so I conquer those first.
  • Do a little something for me.  I spend a lot of time doing things for other people (namely, my kids): feeding, playing, diaper changing, etc etc.  But when I’m feeling down, I become intentional in finding an activity that I enjoy.  Most often, these can be done at the same time as being with my kids: working on a cross-stitch, reading, baking.   
  • Get a reality check.  At the end of the day, I have so much to be thankful for.  And there are so many others who have it so much harder than I do.  Specifically, I’ve been keeping up with this couple and their little boy’s fight for life.   

So, if you are a fellow mamma, and exhausted and overwhelmed today, please know there is someone out there thinking of you.  You are not alone.  And today is only one day.  Tomorrow will be so much better.     

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