The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

{chit chat} What’s New?

How are you, friends?  I have so many things to tell and share that I thought I would just compile them into one big post! 

FOOD…

  • First of all, have you tried these (our empty bag is pictured above)???  They were totally an impulse buy from the last time we went to the store, but they are excellent! 

CRAFTY…

  • I’m considering doing this Quilt-Along as a way to use up some of my fabric stash.  My taste has changed slightly since I started sewing a few years ago, but I hate not to use all the yardage I bought.  And this quilt has the potential to use up a lot of fabric!   
  • I just purchased this scrapbook binder to hold the first half of my 2011 Project Life.  This way of scrapbooking has been so liberating for me and I just love that I am completely caught up, almost to the day.   

SCHOOL AT HOME…

  • Since M just misses the cut off for kindergarten, we are going to do a Preschool/Pre-K mix this year at home.  I have decided to use Five in a Row with him (with an “around the world” twist) that I think he will love.  Ideas and lesson plans are in full swing around here right now, which I hope to share soon!

HOME DECORATING…

  • The boys’ room has been put on hold because we aren’t sure M is ready for the top bunk just yet.  I think we’ll give it a few more months and revisit it then.
  • Because of that, my focus has shifted to finishing up the living room!  We got quite a bit accomplished last fall, but I still have a few projects left.  Inspiration board and to-do list will be coming soon!

LOOKING AHEAD…

  • The heat here has just been unbearable lately, so I am already looking forward to fall.  I know most families are just starting their summer, but with three little ones who aren’t in school yet, I feel like we’ve been having summer since the beginning of May!  I’m so ready for cooler weather!
  • Call me the super planner or just plain crazy, but I’ve begun brainstorming the boys’ birthdays.  The three of them have birthdays within a six week period in the fall, so I have to be organized!  Ideas so far: robots, pirates, police (and baby J’s is a secret!)

What’s new with you this week?

{home} Boys’ Room Inspiration – Part 2

Well, I’m still in the planning stages for the boys’ bedroom.  I’m itching to get started, but here’s my predicament: right now, we have the bunk beds separated into two twins.  In order for me to redo the room, they’ll need to go back to bunks.  Is M ready to be on the top bunk?  Will he be able to get down safely if he’s half asleep and needs to go to the bathroom?  Questions, questions…

So until I figure that part out, I found some more ideas! 

1. I just love this print of two brothers.  I’m considering asking the artist if she can make one with three brothers (we can’t forget about J!)
2. This quilt is from Land of Nod.  I love the plaid patchwork.  I go back and forth between making them myself and just buying them.  Time is money, right?
3. I’m also loving this print.  The boys have car sheets so this would go right along.
4. These toy cubbies are great!  I’m thinking we can DIY them ourselves and paint them navy.
5. One more print idea!  This one is so cute: “He was small but his dreams were big”

{read along} Mitten Strings for God: Quiet

Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry“It’s quiet, isn’t it, Mamma?” 
We were the only ones home, a rare occurrence since baby J was born.  Daddy had taken the two little boys out for a jog and it was just my oldest and me.  I was reading a novel and M was working on some new Lego creation.  There was silence and we both loved it. 

My favorite part of this chapter:
“Our children are exposed to incessant commotion in the world that exists beyond our walls.  Let home be the place where they can find the peace and quiet they need to make sense of it all.  A place, too, where we can nurture our inner lives without distraction.  The soul speaks softly.  And so I guard our quiet times.  Creativity flourishes in these spaces; grace and peace reside here, too.” – page 33, emphasis mine

In a busy house of boys, I have to be intentional with quiet time.  When the day becomes taxing with bickering or meltdowns, I usually respond with quiet time.  No TV, no loud toys…just books, Legos and their imaginations.  It usually does the trick!  What do you do in your homes to help your kids with quiet?

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