baskets and bins and other things

Aren’t we all trying to get more organized? Every mom I am talking with is talking about cleaning up, out, and having less mess in their home. I have been clearing out medical records, organizing paperwork, creating new systems and trying to find things that help my house run better. Here are some products I like-

Pandan Bins from Serena and lily- especially metallic! These run on the smaller side so be sure to measure to see if it will help.

The Real Simple line of products at Target.

Almost everything at Russell and Hazel.

Strapping Floor Bins from Land Of Nod- easy way to dump lots of toys in FAST.

Bigso Boxes for paperwork, special keepsakes, etc. I have 3 boxes for each of my kids right now (different colors) and keep any important documents or pictures, special notes, etc inside. I buy the document size for this reason.

Health Tracks- I wrote about this before- it’s still working over here! I just ordered another from my daughter. This one book allows me to keep all medical work in ONE place, and shred all the individual sheets. Works great. I have the cheaper, soft-cover version.  I do not use the online offer.

Do you have anything you love that helps you feel organized? Please leave a comment if you do!

entertaining entertainment

Where do the days go when you have a newborn?  They seem to fly by faster than ever these last 6 weeks.

Many nights (in the middle of then night of course!) I think about things I want to blog about- but then… never make it to the computer the next day. So… here is a quick update on a Friday night-

Technology I have been enjoying…

The Itzbeen timer- fantastic for sleep-deprived moms and dads!

The Gruffalo dvd- super great present my friend Amy sent for the boys- it is so well done!

Homeland- the tv series on Showtime- the first season was worth losing precious sleep time over!

Instagram app on my iphone for me- and Doodle Fit app for the boys

The Devil in the Junior League- this book is great when I have 5 minutes for it- it’s pretty shallow- but easy reading and funny to me!

That’s all tonight! Have a great weekend.

yummy desserts

First things first- Happy New Year!  I have thought a bunch about my blog but I never make it to the computer these days! I hope you all had wonderful holidays.  

I know most of us are swearing off desserts for awhile, but when you come back to them- here’s a post of some yummy things to make. A friend and neighbor of mine dropped off an amazing meal for us followed by Gina’s Pear and Apple Cobbler. I confess I almost ate half of it myself before my husband got home.

My sister just made these Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints and said they are “blog-worthy!” and would be cute for Valentine’s Day.  

Finally, I have been whipping up a recipe from my grandmother’s box- Meringue Cookies with Chocolate Chips and they are amazing. Here is the recipe:

Makes about 3 dozen or less

2 egg whites

3/4 C. sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 6 oz. bag of chocolate chips

1 C. chopped pecans (optional, I leave them out)

Preheat oven to 350. Beat egg whites until stiff. Add sugar gradually. Beat on high speed for 5 minutes. Fold in vanilla, chocolate bits and pecans. Drop from tsp. onto foil-lined cookie sheet. Put in oven and turn the oven OFF. Leave for at least an hour to overnight. I prefer one hour and then the chocolate chips stay soft.

merry christmas

A quick Merry Christmas to you all- I hope you have had a wonderful day! This is our first Christmas in Colorado and I have to say I am excited about the possibility of staying in my pj’s the whole day if I want to!

santa hat party mix

I saw this picture of the santa hat party mix from cookies and cups on Pinterest and filed it as something I wanted to try- then days later, my friend Julie emailed she made it!! So impressed. Here is the link on how to do it- plus Julie’s notes as she has wisdom from her recent experience!

Julie’s tips: “i did make it. easy. you must get the red melting candy though.. not white chocolate with red food coloring like i did on my first try.”

 

time

Kids spell love T-I-M-E.” -John Crudele. 

Just saw a post about A Year of Dates at Let’s Explore- she wrote a great post about giving special coupons to your kids for the holidays- the gift of time. My husband and I just talked about doing something similar for our boys- giving them a “kids are in charge” afternoon. Our 4 year old always tells us he wishes kids were in charge! So, it could be fun to give them power!  We will see…

raising boys

My oldest turned 7 yesterday. Hard to believe how big he is when I am holding a newborn as well. I have seen so many changes with my relationship with my boys this last year- they want their daddy more often than me. I think sometimes it’s because I’m doing the laundry, I’m nagging them to get to dressed, clean up, etc- and daddy is so much more fun. But, at the same time, I’m so glad they are crazy for their dad. I love that my boys have a great father. Which is why I loved this article my friend Allison sent this morning.  I have been thinking about it a bunch ever since I read it. This author/mother is so insightful- I wanted to pass it on.  Here is the post by Kathleen Fischer- Framed.

birth announcement

Well, Friday came and went with no winner announced! That’s because our little girl was born Thursday night!!! She’s the sweetest, cutest and most special girl in this house and it’s impossible to want to do anything else than hold her. So, this note wil be quick- as many of my posts may be for awhile!

The winner is… #22, Kim S (chosen randomly by my eldest)! I will be emailing an Amazon giftcard to you this week. Thanks for everyone’s great ideas!! I loved hearing about all the special things you do this time of year- I will be incorporating many and thinking of you.

*** thank you all for all the kind words you have sent about our baby girl.  It truly is the greatest gift in the world and we are so thankful for her.

holiday giveaway

Hi friends! Well, I am still waiting for this baby to arrive and I am crossing my fingers everyday that today is THE DAY. I am sure many of you can relate!

Since we will have a newborn this year at Christmastime, we will not be traveling to Chicago like we usually do. Instead, we will have our first holiday in our home- and I want it to be special! So, here’s what I am asking from you today- leave a comment of a special tradition you have (or recipe, game, surprise, etc) that you do/make/play during the holidays. In return, I will be giving away an amazon giftcard for $25. This offer expires at the end of the week- Friday! (I hope to be announcing the winner with a newborn in my arms) So, please take a moment, write a couple words and help me get some fun ideas for our family this December!

Winner will be picked at random by my oldest son choosing a number! I know, my sophisticated systems must amaze you. Looking forward to hearing from you!

rice krispie turkeys

Making these Turkey Pop Treats tonight with my boys.  Such a simple recipe for us to do together.