Tag: Homemaker

I Am Most Definitely An Autumn.

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 7 Comments

It really is here again, Autumn. Oh it makes me so happy just writing that.

The crisp cool mornings, I truly feel more alive when I am not sweating every time I step outside. The fact that it is the season of long walks in leggings and a sweatshirt is more than enough to have me feeling giddy.

Fall to me is like a hug. My favorite sweatshirts come out, pretty decor goes up, a warm cup of coffee makes you feel all fuzzy inside and my favorite cozy blankets and best of all? My reading gets all the more fun. AND!? Yes, there’s more. Gilmore Girls goes on in the background.

The kids and I were outside this week and I glanced up and noticed our tree’s changing. I know it happens every year but it just takes my breath away every time. Anyone else? Nature truly is beautiful and I am so happy I live in a place where I experience all the season’s.

What are your Fall plans?

I’ve been thinking of mine and I really want to try to make it to all the small festivals around here for the kids and even for myself. Make lots of cozy delicious crock pot recipes. There is also a book event in October that I am extremely looking forward to.

Anything you are excited to read?

I have a lot of romantasy and regular fantasy on my list for the cooler weather, plus some thriller’s as well and of course have to throw in a couple cutesy reads. My big one I think I am going to start though later in the season and attempt to read is the Zodiac Academy series. I am so nervous about it but I think it will be worth it in the end! Has any one read it? Let me know!

I just hope we all have a lovely new season. I know life can be overwhelming at times, but I just hope you know you are never alone and just try to enjoy the little moments as much as you can. When you are walking, look up and enjoy the beauty around you. When you are at home, crack open a book you’ve been wanting to read lately and make yourself a nice warm drink. Enjoy the presence of your loved ones. Enjoy all the joys your kids bring you. Just enjoy it all.

Let me know what you are most looking forward to for the Fall season, I’d love to chat with you! As always, thanks for stopping by and hanging out with me.

Dandelion Days.

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 6 Comments

Some of my best memories of childhood are walking around picking dandelions as you go adventure outside just knowing it’s going to be the best day.

Spending a whole day outside getting dirty, swimming and being with family are my fondest memories and it’s what I strive for my children’s childhood.

Especially now.

So when my 4-year-old son came up to me while we were playing in the backyard after I was home from a long day at work and handed me a handpicked dandelion just for me I was so happy.

And then when my 2-year-old daughter followed suit and soon I was blessed with a bouquet of dandelions my heart burst.

So of course we had to make a wish on some of our dandelions, pick them apart and keep a couple as well.

As the days are becoming warmer and Summer finally is almost upon us I strive for dirt filled finger and toenails, chasing butterflies, bug hunting, riding bikes for hours, a day full of swimming.

There’s something so magical about a young learning mind. Creating fond memories for them that they will think back on when they are older just like me reminiscing on a dandelion.

So next time you see a dandelion, I hope you don’t get annoyed about the weed in your perfectly green lawn and think of it instead of happier Summer days spent soaking in the warmth that the world has to offer.

Peel apart the petals, make a wish and a perfect time to make some memories with your littles because it’s ones they will always remember.

It’s a gift.

Fall Tiered Tray Idea’s.

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 16 Comments

I love tiered trays.

In my opinion they are one of the greatest things to come out for decorating.

There are so many different things you can utilize them for and I just love it!

September is upon us and it’s finally that time of year where I just get “the look” from my husband when I start to bring my seasonal decor out.

So I am showing you two Fall tiered tray’s I have put together because at least I can tell him “It’s for the blog.”

I love using traditional Fall colors, all the oranges and burgundy’s I think are so beautiful.

Tiered tray

My tiered tray is new this year and I am obsessed. I used to have a 3 tiered one but I love the look of this double!

Adding a bed of leaves to the bottom is such a nice filler especially when you have a lot of space to cover.

Most of my filler pieces are from Hobby Lobby, they usually have 40% off their holiday decor.

The back is not as full but like I said adding leaves really helps make it look that way!

I also made a small lazy Susan type tray for next to my coffee pot. I kept it a lot more simple but it still gives that cozy Fall feel.

The lazy Susan and small coffee blocks are from Target dollar spot last year.

Adding warm LED lights to any of these also gives such a soft glow and feel, I usually do that as well!

I hope these tiered trays gave you some inspiration for your own home this Fall!

6 Ways To Help Change Your Mindset.

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 26 Comments

Happy and successful life.

Isn’t that what we all strive for?

I think if you asked anyone though, they would all have something different to say about what happiness and success means to them.

For me? Happiness is a slow Saturday morning with my family. Breakfast, coffee with my husband and a morning routine that went as smooth as a babies bottom. Success would be living simply but being able to provide for my family everything they need and be able to give as much as I can to those in need.

Everyday life though, It can defiantly take a toll on how your mind perceives things. One thing I don’t like is negative thoughts! I like a clear, free, happy mindset and it’s defiantly hard to accomplish but it’s one thing I take pride in having.

I try to do little tasks that help get me there and I am even trying to incorporate new ones this year to help keep my mindset positive even more. I am here to share with you 6 ways to help change your daily mindset to be your best self each day.

Positive Morning Routine.

I am starting off with one I am still working on. Mainly I am just not a morning person. I have found though that your morning really does set the tone for the whole day.

Create a relaxing morning routine that helps bring positivity to those early wake up’s. Make your favorite breakfast, sip your coffee slowly. Plan out your day.

Or even make this into your evening routine if you need to.

Do A Weekly Or Daily Brain Dump.

These help so much. Get out your favorite notebook and write down all your thoughts or things you need to do or want to do. Sometimes my mind gets so boggled with ideas and I love putting pen to paper and jotting them all down.

It does not have to be pretty, it’s just a way to help you get things off your mind and put into perspective what you want to accomplish. I love brain dumps.

Get Outside.

Need to clear your mind? I always say the best way to do it is to get outside. Fresh air is just so good for you.

I love a long walk to help alleviate stress or negative thoughts.

I love getting outside and playing with my kids, it feels freeing for myself and for them I am sure. Fresh air is a wonderful cure of a mindset that needs some clearing.

Less Is More.

Another work in progress for me is decluttering. I never realized what a toll clutter can take on you.

It creates so much stress, always having to pick up things or move things or organize things. It takes up so much time and energy.

I am going through one room in the house whenever I get the chance and it has felt so freeing creating a less is more atmosphere in my home.

Find A Hobby You Enjoy.

This is a big one. I love hobby’s. They are such an outlet to a more positive mind.

Find something you enjoy doing and use it as a way to be happy.

I love reading, writing and doing fun DIY crafts with my kids. They make me happy and I always feel better after finishing a good book, writing up a storm or making something fun with my kids.

Find something you love.

Erase The Negativity.

Remove negative things from your life. It may be hard sometimes but it’s worth it.

Listen to positive Podcasts, life yourself up with encouraging words.

Give yourself the strength to end the negativity and bring only positive into your life.

I think this is something we could all work on as human beings in general.

Your mindset is so important and I hope this has helped you find something to help make you happy!

If you have your own ways to stay positive and keep the joy flowing in your life please share them below with us all!

I wish someone would have told me..

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 16 Comments

Do you ever remember the rejection you felt when you were younger and someone didn’t want to play with you or sit with you or even just talk to you?

It was the worst getting your feelings hurt or feeling left out at recess or not having a partner for a fun activity.

I think about that way more often now that I have children.

I wish someone would have told me to make sure you play with them whenever you are asked. That advice is actually worth getting.

When I’m busy and feel like I have so much to do and a little voice comes up behind me and says “mommy, will you play with me?”

A far too usual reply ends up being “in a minute, let me just finish this really quick”

Sometimes do you even look behind you at the little face so eagerly waiting for you to be done when you are busy with your tasks? I’ll be honest, not always.

I feel like we think because they are so little, they won’t understand. But trust me, they do.

A bad day or a sad day could easily be cured by simply sitting down on the floor with your children.

Let them take the wheel, trust me their imaginations are enough to sweep you up into their worlds.

Sit on the ground and be present.

Let them bring you things, let them dance around you and zoom across the living room.

The laundry can wait to be folded and put away.

The dishes can stay dirty for a little while longer.

The floors don’t need to be swept right this minute.

The housework never goes anywhere, but these little moments with your children do.

Give them your attention.

Let them make you laugh and be silly.

You need it just as much as they need it.

My favorite is when my son tells me he had the best day ever with me when all we did was play for a little while or went out and about as a family.

So the next time you hear that little voice come up behind you asking you to play or to talk or to sit with them.

Make sure you do.

Play with them, it matters more than you know.

Dear Coaches Wife. An Open Letter To You.

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 6 Comments

Dear Coaches Wife,

I see you.

What a lonely but rewarding title it is to be a coaches wife.

The other day I got really frustrated. In all dramatic glory, sometimes it feels like the game is a mistress.

There will be days when the only proof of your husbands existence in your house will be his things scattered about.

There will be weekends alone with the kids when there’s a tournament and two days a week where your dinners will be late because of practice.

Sometimes you will be far down in the priority list.

It’s definitely a complex relationship with the game. It’s a love/hate relationship.

But in all the negative, there’s also so much positive.

The nights when it’s you two alone and all he needs is a listening ear.

The pride you feel when you watch him doing what he’s truly passionate about.

The way those kids look up to him.

The people you meet along the way, the friendships made and the feeling of a different type of “family” with the team.

The way family time is so much more special when you have the time together.

The trust built up in your relationship.

Knowing you are strong enough to handle it all. The housework, the kids.

God made you a coaches wife for a reason.

No matter how alone or the sacrifices being made, know it’s to make his dreams come true.

To help those kids learn the best they can.

Know that you are a coaches wife and you should be proud.

So the next time you see a coaches wife, probably standing off to the side or in the middle of the parents on the bench, give them a smile.

It’s a tough title and it’s needed more than you know.

Love,

A travel hockey coaches wife.

AD; Photowall Decor & More!

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 18 Comments

AD- This is an advertise in collaboration with Photowall Sweden with a free product. All opinions are our own.

One of my favorite things is new decor pieces. I get so excited to add a new piece to my home.

Homemaking and keeping a tidy cute home is something I strive for and I have been slowly remodeling and freshening our spaces so when @photowall_sweden reached out to me about their products I was so excited!

I picked up this new beautiful hallway table that I am in love with and I was searching for a great piece that would go along the back of it.

Photowall has so many unique pieces and canvas photo’s are defiantly one of my favorite things to decorate with.

I picked this unique world map that I think the colors went perfect with everything. It wasn’t too bright or too dull and it went so well with this space.

I even have enough room for all my fall touches now that we are getting into the Holiday seasons.

It shipped quickly and came packaged very nicely.

You do have to assemble the mounting yourself but they have a very easy video tutorial to help you with each step.

I am not handy and I was surprised how easy it was to follow.

I love how everything turned out and I definitely want to purchase more from them!

Plus who else is so excited for seasonal decor!?

Stop back soon for a Fall home tour!

Be sure to check out Photowall and all they have to offer.

They have given us an awesome code of 25% off their site! Use code quirkyworkinmoms25

Kitchen Remodel- Painting is Finished!

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 21 Comments

Kitchen painting is finished!

What a difference paint makes you guys! So crazy how open it can make a smaller kitchen look.

If you haven’t noticed we have been absent on here for a couple weeks!

Life has been so busy with renovations around our house and then Marissa’s girls are starting sports. A break was much needed but we are excited to be back and to bring on all the content!

Any-who, back to kitchen updates. If you haven’t read my Kitchen Remodel Inspiration post make sure you do because I am pretty sure I nailed it on the cabinet colors!

So we went with a gray finish for the cabinets and then white walls and a gray accent wall.

The painters did such a great job and I am so excited to see everything come together!

Here’s some before and afters for you all

Those are the before pictures, our house was a lot of tans and warm colors for the kitchen and back entry way but here is what it looks like after the paint!

What do you guys think!? Such a transformation already right?

We have the counter tops ordered but those take about 4-5 weeks so in between waiting for that our flooring will be installed.

Next post it will look completely different again I’m sure and I am so excited about it!!

Stay tuned for more 🙂

Tips And Tricks To Keep Up On Housework

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 42 Comments

Is it even possible to be a neat freak but not even like cleaning?

Well it’s defiantly a thing in my world. I love a clean house and things to be exactly in their place but I hate the getting there part!

Housework in general is just A LOT OF WORK. Throw in a kid or two and a husband? That’s a tornado waiting to happen. Toys all over, socks meant to be thrown into the hamper end up right next to it. Dirty dishes in the sink, Random half-eaten snacks in the couch cushions.

So now on top of our busy as it is schedule just trying to be a normal wife and mom, how are we supposed to keep our house looking like no one lives there as well?

My house is in by no means clean all the time, but navigating through this new mom life I have found a few tips and tricks that help me maintain my housework.

And, I am sharing them with you today in hopes that it might make your cleaning duties a little bit easier each day as well.

Quick Pick-Up

I do this throughout the day so it dosen’t need to be done at night. Just go around your house after some play-time is done and quickly pick up some toys, or put away kitchen items left out from breakfast or lunch. I do this a couple times a day that probably only amounts to 15 min a day so that I don’t have to do as much pick-up at night and can get under the covers faster and finally breath.

Fold Your Laundry On Your Bed

I am the queen of laundry procrastinating. Right along with cleaning bathrooms, laundry is my least favorite housework. Putting laundry in the washer and switching it out into the dryer? Easy. Folding it and putting it away? No thanks. So what I have found that works for me is to fold my laundry on my bed and if I feel like leaving it there for a couple hours that’s fine, but I know at some point it will get put away because I need a clean bed to sleep in.

Wipe Down Counters and Tables At Night

I’m sure we all do the after dinner clean up which is good! I’ve found that wiping down my counters after dinner and my kitchen and coffee tables at night really eases my mind. That way when I wake up in the morning they are clean and ready to go and it just starts my day off right.

Clean The Shower While In The Shower

A big hack right here ladies. Buy a scrub brush that holds soap in it. Fill it up with equal parts white vinegar and dawn dish soap. I don’t do this all the time but it’s an easy way to keep up on your shower cleaning, it works great at getting soap scum off and it’s an easy way to do a quick clean while you are even in the shower as well!

Frequently De-Clutter

I know, the big dreaded word de-clutter. It’s a huge task and it’s at the center of our frustration when it comes to housework. Too much stuff. Why do we have this? Where did this come from? Have we even ever used this? I am guilty of pushing off de-cluttering every single year but I have found that the more frequently I do it, the easier it is to keep up on. A de-cluttered house makes a huge difference to us moms, so just keep up on it little by little and you won’t find yourself with the overwhelming task of a huge clean out in January.

These tips help me out when it comes to the everyday chaos of life. Having a clean home makes us feel a little more put together in the world so I hope these tips help you out as well!

Do you use any of these tricks to keep up on your housework?

What other tips and tricks could you give all of us Quirky Workin’ Moms so housework doesn’t consume us?

Also, if you are interested in a free weekly cleaning checklist let me know! I’ve been thinking about making one 🙂