My Monday Round-Up # 2

I'm backkkkkk. And as promised, I've come bearing gifts; gifts of the DIY nature, that is. Remember last week when I mentioned the new "series" I'd be doing on Mondays? {If not, click here to refresh your memory} Well, I am ready for ya! I rounded up 4 pictures this week that were pretty good depictions of life around here.

Top left to Bottom Right:

The first is the wall above the fireplace + the mantle, which is one of the most drastic transformations our home has undergone. This fireplace used to be dark red brick. It was a major eye sore, until it got DIY'ed. It took 6 coats of white paint to cover that bad boy {honestly, probably could've taken seven, but I had serious claw hands after 6}. In the grand scheme of things, it's such an easy + pretty cheap update that will totally change the look of your fireplace. In addition to the paint, we added a reclaimed wood wall behind the tv + widened the mantle with a piece of wood as well. The wood was free {from an old abandoned barn}, the paint was already on hand, and the labor was free, so this entire project was F R E E for us {aside from the paint roller + drop cloth}.  Free is good.

I shared a different view of our living/dining room this week. It shows the view across from the fireplace looking towards the entryway. I'm standing in the far corner next to a double window, for reference. This picture features my dad's handiwork with the reclaimed wood farm table that he gifted me for Christmas this year {also free wood from an abandoned barn; he's got connections in the form of a truck + good eyeballs}. Our chairs are from Overstock and I love the dark metal spindle feature with the wood seat. You can also see my antique fan that I found on Craigslist for $10 years ago, and my DIY painters drop cloth curtains. But the real star of this picture, as you'll see later in the post, is the DIY light fixture. Stay tuned.

You probably saw this picture already on social media, but if not, it was a picture I posted as part of the hashtag #mombiesrise, which is a fun little tag on IG for moms to post pictures of their mornings. Well, this particular morning produced my favorite picture of all time and my most popular picture on Instagram...ever {well, aside from maybe Emerson's birth announcement}. The company that made the shirt reposted my photo to their IG account and it was also their most liked picture ever to date with some 1200+ views! {What? So cool!} Totally unexpected, but they even offered me some free merchandise for it. I'm always game for comfy graphic tees {and like I said, free is good}. Anyway, her face paired with the saying on my shirt is the most hilarious thing I've ever seen. I did not bribe her or prompt her to make that face; it was all her and just a perfectly timed snapshot. :) You're welcome.

This is a portion of Emerson's room, which I briefly mentioned in last week's Organization: Emerson's closet edition post.  I painted her closet door back before she was born. The room was lacking pizazz + so I went for it. It is seriously one of my favorite things in our house. It's so colorful + really brightens her room. I also loved that this picture captured a view in the mirror of the painted wooden "E" that my dad and I made for $8, and also the raindrop mobile that I DIY'ed using scrapbook paper  + yarn.  The "X+O" on her gallery wall above the changing table is made out of a cardboard box that I cut out using an X-acto knife + simply painted to match her room. Another fun fact: her changing table "dresser" is the bottom portion of a kitchen hutch that I used in our kitchen once upon a time. I removed the hutch and painted the whole thing white. Works like a dream + great for storage. Oh, and that little pillow on the door was mine + it still plays lullabies 28 years later. How sentimental.

The star of today's post is the light fixture in the picture above. In our connected living and dining rooms, we do not have overhead lighting. I don't mind using lamps because they're cozier anyway, but it was kind of annoying not having a light over the table whenever we'd have guests {which isn't all that often, but still}. I was bored one day over the summer and had lots of free time. Clearly, this was pre-Emerson {and remember, I used to have summers off as a teacher}.

I found a large white paper lantern on sale at Target for $10. I think they're usually upwards of $20, but don't quote me on that. Anyway, I bought it because I was originally thinking I could use it outside on our porch, but that was a bust, so I had to get creative. I had seen a couple of pictures on Pinterest related to creating a mini-version of this fixture using coffee filters and a hot glue gun. Easy enough, right? Well, 5-6 hours later and approximately 35 burns in, I had completed this monstrosity of a light and I LOVED IT. I still love it to this day. It is one of the first things people see when they walk in this room + always one of the first things to receive compliments. I have to be honest and say that I am really proud of this DIY. Not only does it make a huge statement, but it creates such soft lighting at night, that it's just perfect for dinner guests, or a romantic dinner with the hubs...because you know, we do that often, in all of our free time...

So, how did I make it? Like I said, I bought the lantern {I'm sorry I don't know what size it is, but it's larger than the standard 10"}, the coffee filters {like 500-600} and hot glue. LOTS OF HOT GLUE. To begin I assembled the lantern, so that it was round + full. Then, I took one coffee filter at a time and pinched the inside of it so that it crumpled up in the center brining all of the edges together like seen below.

I added hot glue to the pinched portion and stuck it to the lantern. I literally did this about 5 million times {or 600} until the entire lantern was covered and full-looking. Then I put a metal eye hook in the ceiling + hung in from that. My lantern has a cord that plugs into the wall, so I had to "swag" it, if you will. Luckily the cord is white, so it blends in with the ceiling fairly well.

That's it. It's such a simple DIY, but it makes such a big impact. As I've mentioned, it does require a lot of patience, and I would recommend wearing heat-repellant gloves. {I'm kidding, but only kind of} This would be a terrific DIY if you wanted to group a couple of small lanterns together, for a less time-consuming option, or if you wanted to go big, then try this one! I've also seen where people dye the filters using coffee to get a stained effect. I prefer the white personally, but hey, could be cute.

If you give this DIY a try, be sure to send me pictures or tag me in a picture of it! I would LOVE to see your creation! Thanks for reading. Until next Monday...XO!

Mom Guilt: For the Days of Doubt

Oh, the infamous "mom guilt". You know exactly what I'm referring to. It's the times you say to yourself, "Did I seriously just do that?" or "I'm the worst mom ever". If you're a mom, you've been there. You've thought to yourself how much better you COULD BE than what you ARE.

Let's quash that mindset. You ARE better. Give yourself credit. Allow me to put it into perspective using a recent personal anecdote.

It was 7:15pm, 15 minutes away from bedtime and already I was "behind schedule", which meant Emerson would probably start getting overtired and cranky any minute. "Grrrreat, I can't wait to listen to her cry + refuse to go to bed", I thought to myself multiple times. *mom guilt*.  I gave her a late dinner that night because I was too tired to get anything together at the time when we normally eat. *mom guilt* I finally fed her frozen chicken nuggets {probably the processed kind that's against all mommy rules}, and some peas I found in the fridge that had been previously reheated about 5 times, so they resembled raisins more than actual peas. *mom guilt* I let her eat a yogurt by herself because I didn't feel like feeding it to her. *mom guilt* The result: YOGURT EVERYWHERE. When she began waving her hands + repeating furiously "All done!", I stripped her clothes off right there while she was still strapped into her highchair. The battle of the clothing was not going to be fought this night. I just wasn't in the mood. *mom guilt* YES, bath time, which meant it was finally almost bedtime. Thank God, bedtime was drawing nigh; the possibility of sitting down + not playing ring around the rosey for the 85th time was in sight. *mom guilt* She was playing independently in the tub with her doll and her balls . {Okay, that came out wrong. Let's just not even go there. They're round fabric objects that are made for the tub.} I was sitting right beside her scrolling through Instagram, not playing with her. *mom guilt* That's when it happened, "PLOP". Yes, she had pooped IN THE TUB. What made it worse was that I didn't realize it right away, so my precious girl was playing in the tub with a turd {or four} floating around. *major mom guilt because that's disgusting* After leaving her butt naked on the bathroom floor while I attempted to clean the poop-infested waters, I realized she was covered in goosebumps, because after all it is winter. *mom guilt* By this point, it was well past 7:30, Emerson's usual bedtime. I went to pull out her fleece pajamas only to find that I never actually washed them as I had intended to do that day. *mom guilt* We improvised and were rounding third base on the way to home plate (bedtime!), when I realized I had no whole milk left to give her in her nighttime sippy cup, all because I neglected the grocery store on purpose that day. *mom guilt* I did manage to read her favorite book + find all 3 of her baby dolls. I rarely let her sleep with them because all she does is play, but that night, the mom guilt was weighing down hard on my shoulders. She slept with all 3 baby dolls, one of which was filled with water from being in the poop-infested bath water earlier in the evening. *mom guilt, again* It was now 8:15pm and finally, she was asleep. I pulled her door shut + made a beeline for the couch. I plopped down, practically belly flopped really. I was DONE. My job for the day was finished. *mom guilt- how could I think that about caring for my own child?*

You see, all of that took place over the span of about TWO hours. And how many times did I feel guilty about something that I had done during that time span? If you kept track while reading, you'll know it was 13!! Thirteen times that I, MOM, felt guilty for something that I'd done {or not done}. Why are we so hard on ourselves as moms?

Here's something I've been preaching to myself for many months now. It's OKAY to not be a perfect mom. In fact, there's no such thing in existence today. Even the most put together, well-to-do, Insta-perfect moms are not actually perfect. We ALL feel less than worthy of this title of "mom" at times. I think it's part of the territory. Part of the beauty of being a mother are the times that you fail, but you pick yourself back up and try again anyway. It's the times when life punches you in the throat and you punch it right back. You know what, my daughter eats pureed pouches in order to get veggies most days + she eats frozen chicken nuggets + her fair share of boxed 'processed' snacks. I know some of you are judging me right now without even realizing it, which is okay. Because honestly, so many times I feel guilty for my lack of concern about her well-being in the nutrition department, but that's just it. I shouldn't feel guilty because even though I may not give her the best of the best all the time {in my defense, her pouches are organic!}, you know what I do give her? I sit with her daily + give her cuddles, just mommy + Emmie cuddles.  I talk to her during every meal {fiiiine, most meals}. I get on the floor and play with her multiple times throughout the day. I listen to her ramblings and I teach her numbers, and words, and animal sounds. I pretend to put her baby dolls to sleep approximately 348 times per day. I pick her up when she stands at my feet and says "mama, up-uppy". I attempt to comfort her even when I haven't a clue what's bothering her. I get up with her in the middle of the night when she's frightened, or teething, or just wants to be with me. I may not have all of my ish together when it comes to this mommy thing, but I am her biggest advocate, and she is my absolute biggest fan!

That's what we have to remember moms: Our kids love + root for us NO MATTER how many times we fail each day. Just as we love them despite their tantrums and diaperless poop escapades {or maybe that's just me}, they love us. Despite our lack of energy, 3-day-old hair, and yes, even when we raise our voices, they love us. Your kids won't punish you because you didn't give them enough of yourself. Ehh, that might be a little white lie. But, my point is, on those days of doubt, don't let your shortcomings in the "mom" department make you feel like you are failing your children. You are their MOTHER. You are better than anyone else at that role. Un-wad your panties and OWN IT, GIRL.

Soft + Cuddly: What Dreams Are Made Of

Hedgehogs remind me of porcupines, even though apparently {according to the gods of Wikipedia} they are quite different. They are prickly and they have the ability to roll into a tight ball as a defense mechanism. Sounds a lot like my toddler daughter first thing in the morning. HA! Seriously though, I will never ever own a hedgehog, I can promise you that. Well that's unless of course you're talking about the soft, cuddly type like the one we got below. Don't believe me? Take a look.

Did you think I went near an actual hedgehog, let alone BROUGHT ONE INTO MY HOME? If you're new here and you trusted me that much, then I'm flattered, but didn't your mother teach you not to trust a stranger? In all seriousness though, I did get ahold of some hedgehogs in the form of a blanket. It's quite possibly the softest, most adorable blanket we own. I have the one pictured above, along with this one pictured below. Both are feminine without being overly "girly". They are perfect for Emerson and she LOVES them, especially the ones with animals {her current obsession}. Today, I want to convince you to not only start loving these blankets as much as we do, but I'm hoping to help you WIN a fantastic prize for either yourself or a friend. Don't stop here, keep reading to find out more!

These precious blankets are a creation of Swaddle Designs, which is a stylish boutique-quality shop known for their great quality products and their long lasting value that moms and babies love and can enjoy for years. I am OBSESSED with their adorably soft + cuddly muslin swaddle blankets! Not only are they of tremendous quality, but they are quite large, making them great for swaddlers and non-swaddlers alike. As a new mom, I hated having to re-swaddle Emerson fifteen times because the blanket would come untucked just as I was putting on the finishing touches. Even worse than that though, was the Houdini-like nature of my child in the middle of the night as she escaped her swaddle. With these Swaddle Design blankets, that's NOT an issue. They are larger than standard size swaddle blankets making them perfect for little Houdini babies like mine. Also, each blanket includes a SwaddleClub and 123 Swaddle label sewn right into the blanket, making learning how to swaddle a breeze. Take it from me, that little label is a helpful tool when it's 2am, you're sleep deprived, and you can't quite remember how to wrap that baby up like a burrito. It sure beats having to Youtube a video on "How to easily swaddle your newborn" in the dead of night with a fussy baby. Their easy 123 instructions make swaddling easy even for the newest of mommies and daddies!

So easy, even a toddler can do it! ;)

What's especially appealing to me as a mother and a consumer is great quality + functionality at a great price. We all know that I not only love a bargain, but I love when something, especially baby gear, is mutli-functional. Babies aren't cheap, and neither are their accessories, but I can honestly say that these blankets are worth every single penny. Plus, they stack up very nicely with surrounding swaddling blanket competition. {Trust me, I did my research.} They have a variety of prints and colors, but I'm especially drawn to the black and white designs, as that's more uncommon in the baby world {in my opinion}. I decorate our home with a lot of black and white, so I love that Emerson's baby "accessories" tie in with that. You can check out all of the designs and colors using the information I've included at the end of this post. Trust me, you will want to take a look!

The blankets, as I mentioned, are high-quality cotton muslin, so they're lightweight and soft on baby's delicate skin. Emerson, bless her soul, has very sensitive skin like her mama, so the lightweight cotton material is my go to material for her all of her blankets. She is 18 months old {tomorrow!} and she sleeps with her muslin swaddle blanket at every nap + every night, along with her furry friend {"May Bear"} + one of her favorite books.

I can't imagine NOT having these blankets. I was gifted tons of receiving blankets and crocheted blankets as baby shower gifts, and while I love them all, none compare to the muslin blankets that she sleeps with every day and night. Not only do these Swaddle Designs blankets get softer with every single wash, but they are such great quality, that they hold up to even the toughest of toddlers! We can't leave home without one and you shouldn't have to either! 

Lucky for you, you don't have to any longer! In honor of Emerson making it halfway to two years of age + Swaddle Designs being the amazing shop that they are, I will be hosting a G I V E A W A Y on Instagram starting tomorrow, February 26th through Sunday, February 28th. It will run from 8:00 am EST Friday {tomorrow} through 8:00am EST on Sunday. The winner of the giveaway will win not one, but TWO Swaddle Designs muslin swaddling blankets from their black and white collection. Be sure to go look at the designs on their website because if you win, you get to choose which two you would like to own! Be sure to follow me on Instagram @alittlethriftychic in order to participate in the giveaway, and please spread the word to any mommy friends that you think would enjoy this great prize. The giveaway is super simple to enter and their are NO OTHER HOSTS, just me! Make sure to enter before 8am EST on Sunday! The winner will be announced Sunday night on Instagram. Good luck and be sure to check out + follow Swaddle Designs at their website, on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. All information + links are posted below. You can also sign up for e-mail updates to hear about new arrivals and get the inside scoop for special offers and promo codes to score you some great deals off of regularly priced items! Now that's speaking my language!

* Visit www.SwaddleDesigns.com and choose your favorite product. They have tons to choose from!

* Follow @SwaddleDesigns on Twitter and tweet about your favorite @SwaddleDesigns print or product

*Follow @SwaddleDesigns on Instagram

* Like Swaddle Designs on Facebook + post your favorite print or product. {P.S. Facebook fans get the inside scoop, previews of new collections and fan discounts.}

* Pin your favorite product on Pinterest 

 Go NOW! Don't delay! See you on Instagram tomorrow for this awesome giveaway! XO!

Organization Makes the World Go 'Round: Emerson's Closet Edition

Organization should've been my middle name. Chelsea Organization Lanford. Yep, has a nice ring to it, don't you think? Mom, why didn't you think of that?!

But for real, do you love knowing where things are and having things appear orderly? If you're anything like me, you thrive on it and you feel anxious when it's otherwise. This is particularly true for me when it comes to our home. I may not be great at organizing paperwork {it could've used serious help when I was teaching}, but otherwise I'm ALMOST a pro. I love lists. I love baskets and bins. I love labels. I love not having clutter, as I've mentioned before. I love all things organizational, which leads me to today's post on Emerson's closet. My hope is that this post will give you some ideas on how to organize all of your kiddos' clothes, shoes, and other random crap. I'm not going in depth as to where everything goes in her entire room because you'd literally be here for far too long, but I am going to zero in on her closet and how I keep it "decorated", organized and uncluttered. Shall we begin?

Due to the size of her room {which is almost no longer a nursery *tear*}, her main dresser is in her closet. She does have another "dresser", if you will, that houses diapers, wipes, blankets, + her changing pad {which is also almost a thing of the past}. Her closet is a decent size. I haven't measured, but I'd guess it's about 4ft wide by 8 ft tall by 2-3 ft deep with one main clothes hanging rack + a high top shelf. To keep this post organized and as least confusing as possible, I'm going to separate each "part" of her closet as a new paragraph, so hang with me. Don't let all of the words scare you away, they're helpful, not hurtful. * Pinky swear *

Let's start with her dresser. My brother was tossing it after he moved out of his college apartment, and rather than let a perfectly functional dresser be buried in the trash, I swiped it. It was originally brown, then he painted it on two different occasions, I believe. A DIY'er after my own heart. HAHA. Anyway, when I got it, I think it was a weird greenish-grey color {no offense bro, if you're reading this}. I used some light grey paint I had on hand to repaint it. Then, I added some $1 yellow knobs that I found in the dollar bins at Michaels and some drawer liner from Dollar Tree {that actually is really cute + matches her room perfectly}. In her dresser I store the following items:

TOP DRAWER: leggings + pants of any sort {she has entirely too many, but they're SO cute}

MIDDLE DRAWER: socks, tights, and pajama sets {not footed though}

BOTTOM DRAWER: all of her shoes {no real organization honestly, they're just thrown in there}

On top of her dresser is a gifted picture frame {also yellow} from one of my baby showers. Inside the frame is one of the 15+ game cards that were played at my shower. I rotate them periodically so I can see what my friends wrote. I loved this little game + it's a fun reminder every time I open her closet. I  store all of her medicines {Tylenol, Zyrtec *dang allergies*, Nose Freda, etc} in that wicker basket. And the most asked about piece in her closet: her headband holder. It's actually just a standard jewelry holder sold at TJ MAXX + similar stores, that is meant to hold necklaces + bracelets. My mom gave it to me + it isn't really my style to display jewelry, so I repurposed it + now it holds all of her headbands {mostly DIY by the way-click here if you want to make some of your own like those seen below}. 

You may be wondering what that random silver bar is going across the picture. That's actually a tension curtain rod that doubles as a clothes rod because the existing one wasn't large enough to hold everything. I don't hang clothes on it anymore because I purged her stuff {Shh! I know you can't even tell. She's got SO many clothes}, but now it holds extra hangers, which yes, are organized by color {light pink, white, and hot pink}. I can't stand the hangers that clothes are sold on, and I like uniformity, so this helps with that. On that same note, all of Emerson's clothes, aside from what's in the dresser, are hung up like you see in the picture above. I hate wrinkles + folding, so this was the obvious option. Plus, I like being able to see everything without having to dig through tons of clothing to find what I want. Her clothes are organized by style {onesie, dresses, short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, footed pajamas, coats, etc} AND by color. You may think I'm crazy, but hear me out. I do it this way for two reasons: 1} it's easy to find what I'm looking for + to hang things back up easily and 2} It helps daddy pick out outfits that match. ;) 

The plastic Sterilite drawers seen beside her dresser were taken from my classroom when I "retired". I needed a few extra storage places for pacis, receiving blankets, hats/mittens, and other random baby items. All I did to spruce it up a bit was add some scrapbook paper cut to size to the front of each drawer. So even though it's not high-end or anything {shocking, I know}, it helps it appear a little less "cheap", plus it matches her other room decor.

Finally, are the inside of the door and the top shelf. The door has a white over-the-door hook that has like 10-12 separate hooks. It holds her bibs, lightweight jackets, swimsuits, and her scarf. Yes folks, she has a plaid scarf that mimics my blanket scarf. I found it at Goodwill for $1 and I couldn't resist. She absolutely hates it and it was a total waste of $1, but I'm keeping it in hopes of her wanting to "be like mommy" next winter. *FINGERS CROSSED* The top shelf is not ugly, but it's not super attractive either. It houses labeled {by size} plastic storage containers full of baby clothes/gear/books that I'm holding onto in case of another baby girl in the future. Should I get pregnant again + it be a little boy, I'm going to be sad to depart with all of these super cute clothes, but that just means my friends will have great free stuff for their baby girls and/or I'll have some fabulous stuff to sell.

So that's Emerson's organized closet tour. I hope you found it helpful, and if anything in particular caught your attention, please share with me! Or, if you have any great organizing tips related to children's items, I always love + appreciate your feedback! 

P.S. My blog got a little makeover too! Whaddya think? XO!

My Monday Round Up # 1

Well, the weekend is over and it's back to the grind for most of you. If you're a stay-at-home-mom like me, then today isn't a WHOLE lot different than yesterday, or the day before that for that matter. Aside from the fact that I tend to be a little lazier/laid back on the weekends, my week days don't differ too much from my week ends. Regardless, I did have a great weekend, primarily thanks to the beautiful 60+ degree weather! Sadly it's back to gray skies and 40 degree temps today, but I've got a little something to share that will hopefully take your mind off of the cold temps for a bit.

For the past month or so, on Sundays,  I've participated in a hashtag challenge on Instagram called "MySundayRoundup", and basically it's purpose is to post a collage of pictures that summarizes your week. It's fun for me to look back at what I've posted over the week and create a conglomeration of photos that not only remind me of the things I accomplished and/or the memories I made, but to also share that with others. After I posted yesterday, I got to thinking about how I've been racking my brain for weeks for a way to incorporate home decor regularly into this blog, while also still making it appealing to my mommy audience. Not everyone loves home decor + not everyone wants to read thoughts from my mommy brain, so I thought doing a mixture of both on a regular basis would be a happy medium. Here's what I came up with...

Starting today, I will be posting "My Monday RoundUp", which is just going to be the same collage of pictures that I posted the previous day on Instagram PLUS I'm going to include a DIY project that can be seen in one of the collaged photos, that can also easily be completed by my followers at home. The roundup for today includes the four pictures below.

The back of the front door was white until about 9pm on Friday night when I got the itch to do something DIY. I saw a picture on an IG account I follow of interior doors painted black. I've been wanting to do SOMETHING to the inside of our front door {so the back of the front door}. The outside of the door is bright blue, which I love, but I didn't want that blue on the inside because it doesn't go with the rest of the interior decor. It's been white forever, until Friday at 9pm anyway. Now it's a lovely shade of black, and I'm loving it...a lot. Wait, are there different shades of black? Is that a dumb question? 

The gallery frame wall is in our main hallway which encompasses all of the bedroom doors + main bath door. Last summer we replaced the 4 interior doors in this hallway from the standard hollow, non-decorative doors to decorative ones. It wasn't a "cheap" project per se, but it was TOTALLY worth it. The new doors completely changed the entire look of the hallway. So if you are looking for an easy way to update your house, the interior doors are a great place to start {whether it be replacing them or just painting them}. Back to the gallery frame wall though, which is going to be my DIY feature if you continuing reading. This wall was completed using 90% thrifted frames and 10% dollar tree/pre-owned frames. The frames encompass some of our most treasured memories of our family: Emerson's footprints, an ultrasound picture, a couple of our wedding photos, a journal entry from the night we got engaged, print outs of each of our home states, a gifted cartoon drawing of our family {pre-Emerson}, one of my brother + sister-in-law's wedding photos, and tons of other precious memories. It's definitely a statement wall in our home and I LOVE that I see it every time I walk in the door. It's SO easy to do too. {See below for more}

The old window frame was a $10 find thanks to my BFF, Leslie! The B+W picture inside is a $3 Office Max print {click here to read a previous post on how to get one for yourself in 5 easy steps}, and the surrounding frames were $1 wooden frames from Michael's that I painted and then inserted B + W photos of the 3 of us. The entire wall is seen below {I only inserted part of it in the collage}.

The last picture in the collage is of my daughter picking "flowers" for me, which I wrote about here. It was too precious of a moment not to include in my weekly collage. But, enough about the collage, let's talk how to make your very own gallery frame wall.

As I mentioned, most of the frames on our gallery wall were thrifted. I have to be honest, I do have "new" frames in our house, but the majority of our picture frames are either thrifted + repurposed or they were free finds. I ALWAYS check the thrift store for frames before I go out and buy them new. All it takes is some spray paint to turn an ugly frame into a beauty again, and usually frames {depending on size} are like $1-2 each. Half of these frames were wooden originally, some were already black but were super scratched up, and some were white/teal/brown, etc. I never ignore a frame based on it's color because that's such an easy fix. The majority of the prints inside the frames were printed on my home computer, though some did come from actual printing companies {like the photos of Emerson's first birthday or our wedding photos, for example}. The big print to the right of the bathroom door is of a parachuter. I found that at Goodwill for $1.50 and I just repainted over the existing frame so that it would match the rest. The "etc" sign was a really ugly wood that I painted black; also found at Goodwill for like $0.75. I believe I've mentioned this before in a previous post, but be open minded when thrifting. Don't look at things for exactly what they are, think about what they could be in the future. HAVE NO FEAR: MY VIRTUAL THRIFT STORE SHOPPING TRIP COMING SOON {more on that later in the week}.

Not only is the wall itself an easy DIY project that makes a HUGE statement, but also the art inside the frames can be another DIY. As I said, I printed a lot of these from the internet {the lips, bird, silhouette of the Jack Russell, some of the quotes, and many others}, but I also used pictures from magazines, a birthday card that Trey gave me {I LOVE using beautiful cards as art}, scrapbook paper, and a drawing that Emerson did. I tend to think outside of the traditional "use this frame strictly for a picture of people" and try to be more creative with what I put inside. There are SO many options out there; I've named only a few. The frames don't have to match either. Most of these in fact, are not similar at all. Some are really thick, some are thin, some are detailed, others are very plain. Painting ALL of the frames the same color though brings uniformity to the wall. It makes it appear cohesive even though the frames themselves are completely different. I painted our frames black because I wanted a greater contrast against the white wall. But, you could totally do colored frames if that's your thing, or for a simpler, crisper look, go all white. Also, this is a larger scale gallery wall. It can certainly be scaled down to fit a smaller wall or you could go more vertical or horizontal depending on your space. I do recommend cutting out paper the size of the frames + using painters tape to adhere the "paper frames" to the wall while you're deciding on a layout that works. Nothing worse than nailing 50 million holes in the wall, only to realize you don't like the layout. Additionally, I wasn't super anal about spacing between the frames, primarily because it's time consuming and I am lazy in that regard, but I tend did try to keep them all lined up on the right edge {as in not having one protrude out past the others}, but it doesn't always work and that's okay. They don't need to be perfect to be beautiful.

That's the key to any good DIY project: it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. :) I hope you've enjoyed the first installment of "My Monday Round Up" and that you've found some inspiration here If you do in fact find some, be sure to share it with me. I'd love to see what you come up with! I'll be back next Monday with another week of home pictures + another easy DIY! Until then...XO!

Stop and Smell the Weeds

I schedule when I'm going to blog now. Not because I'm sooooo busy that I can't keep up otherwise, but because I have more opportunities being thrown on my plate with my blog and with Instagram, so I have found it helpful to write out when everything is happening, and schedule specific days to blog so that I don't get caught up in everything else and leave you guys hanging. My typical blogging days are Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. Last week, I posted Wednesday night because I had somewhere to be on Thursday and was afraid I'd run out of time {hi, my name's Chelsea, I have a toddler + I'm always running late}. I was actually planning to do the same this week because I have to take Emerson to the doctor this morning + thought I'd be too short on time. Well, yesterday was quite possibly one of my longest parenting days to date and I was in bed by 9pm last night because I had the worst toddler hangover {what I call a headache after a particularly long day with my girl} + my muscles were literally aching from the gym earlier in the day. I was just too tired to use my brain to form any coherent type of post on here. So, here we are. It's Thursday morning and I'm the only one awake, for now. I've got coffee in hand, notes I jotted down yesterday for this post, and about 10 more minutes until Emerson starts stirring, so let's get to it.

Yesterday started well, I woke up early, ate a good breakfast + drank my coffee while it was hot. I had planned to go to the gym, so I was all ready once Emerson woke up. I got her dressed + loaded her in the car. I didn't have time to give her breakfast, so she snacked on a the handful, or two, of {most likely} stale strawberry-apple puffs + goldfish crackers that I found beneath the butt pad in her carseat. Don't judge me, she was happy as a clam because she loves her "poooooooofs". So she ate a good hearty breakfast on the way to moms {kidding, my mom actually fed her real food} and I made it to the gym "on time". I worked out hard, probably too hard because I'm paying for it at this  moment. My shoulders are screaming at me. I picked Emerson up from my moms, took her home, fed her lunch + played for a bit, then began the battle. The all out battle of the fittest, quite literally. Every time I tried to lay her down for a nap yesterday {I tired for an hour + a half} she would scream and fight + squirm and yell "dooooooowwwwnnn". So, after I'd exhausted 99% of my tricks, I resorted to loading her in the car in hopes of her snagging even a little catnap {anyone knows that a non-napping kid during the day makes for a CRANKY kid come evening}. This is where I had to make light of the situation to keep from crying myself. It had been the longest hour and a half of my life up to this point. I just wanted her to sleep. Just SLEEP, kid.

The car nap gods were on my side, and she fell asleep about 30 minutes into our drive. So, I drove the back country roads for almost 2 hours yesterday afternoon. Luckily, I was smart enough to make myself a big cup of coffee + a snack {carrots + hummus of all things} for the ride. I don't know why I thought carrots + hummus were the best options because carrots are the loudest snack on the planet when you have a sleeping kid 3 feet from you. Oh well, you live and you learn.

During my drive yesterday, I noticed some things that actually made me laugh, a lot. I thought I would share some of my observations from driving WAY back in the country. Here's my list of 10 ways to know you're in the deep country:

1. You see more houses with Christmas decoration still up in mid-February than you do in your own neighborhood during the actual holidays.

2. You drive down roads that you never even knew existed even though you've lived here for 28 years.

3. You're pretty sure you have found the next 8 houses for the show "Hoarders".

4. There are fields of cotton.

5. All of the houses have tractors parked in the driveway or in the surrounding area.

6. Cotton. Cotton. Cotton. {I REALLY wanted to stop + get some for decor purposes, but was afraid to stop for fear of waking the beast}.

7. You pass the same house 5 times all by turning down a different "back road".

8. In the middle of trailers and itty bitty houses, you see this house {complete with PALM TREES}. That sky was on point though!

And there you have it, 8 things I learned yesterday while driving in the "deep country". I actually had to stop and laugh at one point because even though it kind of sucked driving around in the late afternoon{hello snoozefest}, I actually enjoyed the peace + quiet and the beauty of the Earth {if you didn't notice, check out the sky in the picture above}. I never knew some areas of our "city" existed until yesterday. So even though yesterday was another long day for Emerson and I {probably more for me than her}, God reminded me yet again, that even though the days can be long, these years are fleeting.  I need to quite literally STOP and smell the flowers {or more realistically, the weeds that my daughter picked for me while we played at the park}.

Let me encourage you, as I preach this to myself, that even on the long, arduous days, try to remember to stop and smell the flowers {even if they look like weeds}, whether literally like me, or figuratively. Sometimes that's all it takes to turn the day around. Have a wonderful Thursday, friends! You're almost to Friday; hang in there!

The Days Are Long, But The Years Are Short

There's a popular saying out there related to raising children that goes something like this,"Enjoy them now, for the days may be long, but the years are certainly short." 

I've never really understood that though because for a while the long days were just that, VERY long freaking days. I couldn't picture the "years" because I was consumed with the every days. It's no surprise to my readers when I tell you that I was depressed as a mom for a while, especially in the beginning. If I'm being completely honest with you, I still go through bouts of depression in this role of "mom". This is in no way me saying that I dislike being a mother or that there aren't a million joys for all of the negatives. And, of course, it has nothing to do with my actual daughter or the actual fact that I'm a mother. What a blessing they both are, truly {especially in a day and age where miscarriage + infertility are so common}. I'm referring more to the moments of motherhood that leave me in the trenches of loneliness, boredom, confusion, self-pity. Do you relate to that? Have you ever felt any of those things after a particularly hard day, week, or month? I know it probably seems like my posts tend to revolve around the hardships of motherhood as opposed to the joys, but the thing is, I can share my joys all day long, but what really needs to be discussed are the difficult parts of motherhood. The parts that no one likes to talk about for fear of being seen as ungrateful, fear of rejection, fear of humiliation, fear of "being the only one". I'm here to break down those barriers because they exist and they shouldn't evoke fear. I love sharing in the joys of motherhood, because it most definitely brings more joy than one could possibly imagine, but my heart is to share how even when it's really great, it's also REALLY DANG HARD at the exact same time, and it's okay to talk about it. And talk about it often without regret.

You see, up until recently, I had a hard time picturing what life would be like 2, 3, 5, let alone 10+ years from now. I often forget that Emerson will only be this little for a very short while, despite it feeling like an eternity sometimes. I wish away the time to get me to a "better" place with her. She's my pride and my joy, and the love I have for her is unlike a love I've ever experienced. But, that doesn't mean that I'm devoid of human emotion; emotion that often leads me to wonder what life would be like for ME if she were just a little older, a little more independent, a little more this or that.

This is all coming to the surface now more than ever because Emerson has been on a sleeping strike for over a week now. As any mother {or father} knows, this can lead to some very long days and nights. It can make you feel overwhelmed, under-appreciated, and physically + emotionally drained. Spending an ENTIRE day {with the exception of the 45 minutes that she decides she actually wants to sleep} with a whiny, needy, non-stop toddler is EXHAUSTING on all accounts. I tend to get frustrated and very overwhelmed when days like this occur because, as an introvert who needs time to recharge BY MYSELF, I don't get that when she refuses to sleep.

Which leads me to my next point. Yesterday, Valentines Day, I was in a pretty rotten mood for a variety of reasons {PMS being none of them, by the way}. To top if off, Emerson only slept 45 minutes the entire day {normally she sleeps 2-3 hours} which meant that I didn't get to accomplish much on my list of things to do, one of which included spending time with my husband by ourselves. I think this was intentional on God's part. I have a really hard time balancing my time, not because I'm disorganized, quite the opposite actually, but because I always feel like I {me, me, me} deserve more "alone time" than I do. I get frustrated and overwhelmed when "my time" becomes "Emerson's time". I'm selfish like that, I am fully aware.

This morning I woke up refreshed. It's amazing what acts of service {hubs went grocery shopping, made dinner for me, and cleaned up the kitchen}, a hot shower, and a good night of sleep can do for a mama. The past week has been tough for me, but God reminded me just this morning of why I need not fret about the lack of "me time" because He cares for me and provides opportunities for me to be refreshed. Here's how he reminded me of this; perhaps you've had small moments like this too:

Emerson woke up in a good mood this morning for the first time in over a week. Over the monitor, I heard her playing gleefully in her crib instead of crying. After going in to get her, she very happily said "hi mama, hi mama, hi mama". At breakfast, Emerson asked if we could "pwwwwayah" {pray}. This is something new that we've been trying to teach her at meal time. It was absolutely beyond precious.Then after breakfast, she played independently for like 15 whole minutes. If you know anything about my child, you know that she is NOT independent when it comes to playing. She always wants a playmate {aka me or daddy-usually me because daddy works}, which is going to be addressed in another blog post in the near future {NO! I'm not pregnant}. While watching her play, I was working on this post, and she came to me with 2 books in her hand, and said "buuuuk" {book}. Normally, I may have told her to hold on, or made her wait a little bit until I was done with my post, but for some reason, I just dropped what I was doing, picked her up and we read a couple of books together. In that moment, I was reminded that even though the days have been really, really long this week, she is growing up faster than I can comprehend and she wants ME, her mama to spend time with her. I swear just yesterday I was fretting over the fact that I thought she would never crawl. Now, she's running around like a maniac, having "conversations" with herself and others, saying multiple new words a day, and just acting SO much older in general. I find myself thinking way too frequently now, 'Where did my baby go?' 

"Pwwaaay"ing

I know that she's only a year and a half and this is just the beginning. Time is going to fly by even faster with each new year, of this I'm fully aware. I am learning that even though the days are longer than I would prefer most days right now, the years will be getting shorter and shorter, and before I know it they'll be gone. So, even though it often takes every ounce of me, I'm trying to learn to relinquish my control + my selfishness in order to cherish these tough moments, which will be what get me through the even tougher moments in the future after she's no longer my little baby and she tries to make me think that she doesn't need me. I know that these will be the best days and years of my life, so I'm vowing to myself to make these long days part of the short years that lie ahead.

The Final Countdown

 Just when I think I've got this parenting thing DOWN, my daughter, without fail, springs something on me that makes me question my entire mommy-hood. Today happened to be one of those days. If you've been following me for any decent amount of time, you know by now that I am very schedule and routine oriented.V E R Y. I don't like being thrown off of the usual routine because I'm a control freak. There, now it's out in the open for the forty-thousandth time.

Usually, it starts with a crappy nap or a very early waking, and then will spiral downhill from there. Today started out as any normal day. Trey woke up early for work {inevitably waking me as well} and I got up shortly after he left {about 7}, and managed to squint my way through my bright IG feed a time or two, you know in case I missed anything that was potentially life or death. I barely made it out of bed when I heard a faint "maaaaaaaaaa" followed by "up, up, up, up, BUB-EE" {baby}. So I won't lie, I still went into the kitchen and made a cup of coffee, just in super speed. You see I don't rush into get Emerson first thing in the morning. Her time to get up is 7:30am, per my rule. As long as she's not screaming like a banshee, she stays in her crib until I go in to get her. HELP ME JESUS when she learns to crawl out of her crib. Anyway, what I was able to accomplish this morning, well that's usually just the first little portion of MY morning routine. Normally {you see where this is going}, I wake up, scroll Instagram, pee, make coffee, and make a short list of goals for the day. Today, I skipped the "pee" and went straight to coffee because time was of the essence. I drank about 4 good sips before Emerson started yelling at me. No, literally, she yells from her crib. Not cries, 

y e l l s. She's no dummy. It's really freaking adorable most mornings.

Not this morning. 

This morning I was really exhausted from staying up too late watching Making a Murderer {GAH! dying over here} with Trey. I didn't get to finish my coffee while it was hot, which is incredibly frustrating to me and makes me feel underprepared for the day. The microwave and I are besties on mornings like today. Much to my surprise, Emerson was in a fantastic mood all morning. I even got in a quick gym session and she *WILLINGLY* went into the Kid's Club to play. Like, did not even look back to say 'bye' to me. This is a whole other story for another time. 

Fast forward >>

Nap time is usually between 12:30-1pm and naps have been averaging 2.5-3 hours here lately. I was not so fortunate today because you know I didn't have a lot I wanted to accomplish during that time or anything. She woke up about 1.5 hrs into her nap screaming. Like she went from conked to scream-central in 2 seconds flat. I could not comfort her. Like for the entire rest of the day. She was cranky, whiny, snotty, and apparently very hungry because she ate almost an entire sleeve of graham crackers by herself in one sitting. #Momoftheyear

Needless to say, by approximately 5pm, I was spent. She was showing no signs of relenting to her utter exhaustion and I, in turn, was becoming more and more exhausted. I don't know if I'm alone in this or not, but I would much rather have a day of complete chaos from running a trillion errands with a content child, than a day of complete chaos from doing next to nothing and having a discontent child. It is SO draining mentally, physically, and emotionally. I'm not going to lie to you, I loaded her in the car, turned on her favorite little "tw-ain" cartoon on the iPad and we drove the back country roads for ONE HOUR. I listened to jazz music the entire time. I'm turning into my parents.

After an hour of driving around, I was famished. Driving is exhausting {tack that on to that a pounding headache + an already exhausting afternoon}. I hit up Panera on the way home for a *salad*, thank you. Once home, Emmie continued to act like I have never once fed her in her life and insisted on eating all of the chicken out of my salad. Thanks, kid, I didn't want that or anything. 

FINALLY, it was 6:30. CLOSE ENOUGH to her usual 7:30p bedtime. I ran her bath, plopped her in there {while I reclined on the closed toilet. I know, classy}. She begged me to put on a little puppet show with her finger puppets. By begged, I mean she grunted at me, while holding up her finger puppets, while repeating "dis dis dis dis". I couldn't NOT get down there with her, so I gave into playing and singing a one hit wonder, titled  "We are friends". It goes like this, "We are friends {while pretending to make all the puppets hold hands and dance}, yes we are. We are friends who love Emmie {then they all lean in and give her a kiss on the cheek}". Don't ask, it's a new song every night and she loves it.

Okay, bath was over + butt was diaper creamed {she pees like a machine at night}, fleece jammies were on, and hair was combed. Oh, and fingernails were cut {after much wrestling and many tears + probably a scratch somewhere on my extremities}. All that was left between freedom and myself, was a goodnight story and some kisses. Except, tonight no book was sufficient. We ended up reading the same book 3 times by default. {I know exactly where baby's belly button is in case anyone hasn't read that story.} I turned out the light, sang her her "night night song", and kissed her little lips. "Night night Emmie. I love you", I said. "I wooo yewwwwwww, mama", she said.

Suddenly the countdown to that very moment seemed silly. It was a meaningless countdown because I certainly need time for myself, especially after a long and trying day like today. But, that one little phrase, "I woo yewwwww mama", it put everything into perspective. So even though today SUCKED, majorly and severely, I was reminded in that brief moment that tomorrow is a new day and that God will never give me more than I can handle.

So, when you feel like it's the final countdown and you let out that sign of relief after you close your little one's door, just know that even if it was the crappiest of crappy days, tomorrow is bound to be different. Maybe it won't be great, but it will be different and for me, that's a relief. 

Cheers to you mamas {and daddy's}! Underneath those leggings and that graham cracker, snot + God knows what else-stained shirt, you're one of a kind to that little love bug that calls you "mama". Rest in that.  Oh, and pour yourself some wine {Jesus drank it, He understands!}

XO,

Keep On

This paraphrased verse popped up on my Instagram feed today. How timely it is. As a new-ish mom, and blogger, I have a lot on my mind most days. I have so much I want to say to the world, so much I want to share from a place of complete vulnerability. But I'm often afraid. What am I afraid of? Rejection. Judgement. Envy. If it's a human emotion, I've probably been afraid of it at some point. Even though the response to my blog and my IG feed have been nothing but positive thus far, I am human and I have fears, just like you. My fears within the blogging community are not as legitimate as my fears as a mother, so today I want to shed some light on my fears as a mom. I don't want to be afraid to speak about it. I don't want to be silent about it. I want to keep on speaking about it because in speaking about it comes freedom. Freedom to be who I am. Freedom to say what's on my heart and in my mind. Freedom to let others in to my little portion of the world. Freedom to let others feel that they aren't alone and in return, help me to realize that I'm not alone. With freedom comes life.

My journey into motherhood started roughly 2.5 years ago. {I included pregnancy in that estimate because I became a mother from the moment Emerson was created in my womb, in my opinion}. Pregnancy, for me, was nothing short of amazing. I honestly cannot complain about anything. The only real trouble I ran into, which really doesn't even seem like trouble compared to so many others out there, was that I had Placenta Previa, meaning the baby's placenta partially or totally covers the opening in the mothers cervix, which can cause severe bleeding and often requires cesarean delivery, without option of vaginal delivery. Thankfully, mine healed itself at 38 weeks. Aside from the very normal exhaustion and food aversions {coffee for me- I know, it was sad!}, I was healthy, active, and enjoyed being pregnant very much {well up until I went beyond my due date-ha!}. I had a quick + relatively easy delivery, especially for it being my first baby. Everything was going according to plan, just how I like life...to follow a plan, a schedule, a routine. Thankfully, in the end, God knows me better than I know myself.

The first week with Emerson, overall, was great. I was exhausted and sore, but I loved being a new mom. Then, reality set in. Milk came in {ow}, nursing started going haywire, I didn't know when or how to pump, I wasn't sleeping much, Emerson cried a lot, Trey worked all the time, everything was supposed to be able to be answered with Google {B I G mistake}. When I couldn't figure something out with the baby, I felt like a failure. I wasn't teaching full-time anymore which had brought great routine to my life, so I now felt lazy for wanting to do nothing when the baby did sleep. I was losing my mind. Depression set it fairly early on without me really recognizing it. I was miserable. I withdrew from my friends. I withdrew from my husband. I withdrew from my baby. I had a horrible self-consciousness about my body, which made me extremely uncomfortable because I've never really struggled with that before. My life as I'd known it to that point was completely over. I often regretted the choice to expand our family because I felt like life was over for me. My only role now was 'mom" and I didn't like it one bit. There was no "Chelsea" left, or so I thought.

After several months of MANY, MANY tears and inward struggles, I hit a point where I knew that if I didn't start living life at least a little bit for ME again, it would be over. I think what really did it for me was having a conversation with my husband where he told me that I had turned so negative. He said that I didn't look at life like I used to and I didn't follow through with things like I once did. That was like a dagger to the heart. I did NOT like being told that I didn't follow through on stuff, because well, that just isn't me at all. Also, to be frank, he pissed me off and set a fire under my butt {maybe that was his ultimate goal? haha}. At first, I just wanted to prove him wrong + prove to myself that I still WAS ME, so I took a job {which I referenced in a recent post} and it gave me some motivation. It got me out of the house and away from the baby for a little while a couple times a week, which {new moms} helps clear your head and it really does bring you some sanity. Over time, it ignited passion in me again. I began blogging again, too. On my blog, I began sharing more and more of my struggles, especially as they related to motherhood. I began receiving feedback from others who shared with me that they had fought so many of the same battles. Finally, I felt like I wasn't alone anymore. I felt like my negativity {which was definitely a large breeding ground for resentment + anger for a while} was taking an upward turn. I blogged on and off as an outlet for a while, mostly doing it whenever I felt the urge. Then, I just decided that enough was enough. The only person that could change the direction of my attitude, and ultimately my life was me {with Jesus' help, of course}. I read this quote recently which really hit home, "The very best thing you can do for the world is to make the most of yourself."

I made the choice to pursue blogging more intentionally. I decided to work on house projects, read, work outside, exercise {*shocking*}, etc during free time instead of laying around watching tv or cleaning obsessively. {I clean when I have nothing else to do, it's a blessing and a curse}. The more down time I have, the less productive I feel, though I am trying to learn the art of "resting" without it feeling like pure laziness.

Just a couple of months ago I made the decision to say YES more. Yes to more play dates with Emerson. Yes to opportunities with my blog. Yes to home projects I've been wanting to tackle. Yes to showing love to my husband more. Yes to going to the gym regularly. Yes to playing with Emerson more without distractions {mostly my phone or the tv}. Yes to pursing some opportunities that allow me to use my creative side, while also reaching the "teacher" in me. Saying 'YES' has been freeing for me. It's not easy for me to always say YES because even though I have no problem talking to strangers {or writing to them}, I like being alone. I like solitude and quiet. I don't NEED other people all the time to thrive. Me + God are working on getting me outside of my comfort zone on that one.  Anyway, ultimately I've been working on not being afraid. Saying yes, though often very frightening for me, has changed my attitude dramatically. I am not the same person {as a mother, wife, or individual} that I was even 6 months ago. God is using all of the difficult times throughout the past year to change me and mold me, and ultimately, I think use me. As I mentioned recently, I don't know why I've been burdened {in a good way} with this blog suddenly, but I have and I know God is at work. I have been more excited the past month about MY life and the direction it's heading than I have been in a long time. I'm just so excited that God is using my fears to bring me to a new place. A place where I have the freedom to not be silent. The freedom to not be afraid anymore, and the freedom to keep on speaking. It's giving me life and I'm so, so, so excited about it.

P.S. I am so honored and privileged {and still kind of shocked} that I was asked to be featured today on another blogger's website {Devon Brown}as part one of a series she's doing called "Mommy Bloggers". She's featuring some amazing women, aside from herself, who also happen to be great moms. You can see the post I linked on Instagram or you can click here to check out the feature, which shares how and why I got started in the blogging community. Again, thank you all for your continued support + encouragement!!

P.S.S. I've added a new board on Pinterest called "A Little Thrifty Chic" that links directly to photos, articles, and tutorials on this blog. Would love it if all of you Pinterest lovers you would go follow it to help spread the word! Thanks!

Ten Tips for Keeping a Tidy Home Daily

Do you have clutter that causes you stress? Do you get overwhelmed at the thought of cleaning up your house on a daily or weekly basis? Do you end up neglecting your house because you just can't figure out where to start? Well, I've got some tips that are sure to help you kick clutter stress in the butt!

I, by design, am a naturally tidy person. I love organization and order. I thrive on it, frankly. Teachers and parents used to comment frequently on how orderly my classroom was and how quiet and stress-free it appeared. Well, that was no accident you guys. I created that environment intentionally, not only for my students, but for me. I do the same with our home. An orderly space leads to a {more} orderly, less stressed lifestyle. So, let's dive in for  T E N tips on becoming tidy on a daily basis. Check yo'self before you wreck yo'self!

TEN TIPS FOR KEEPING A TIDY HOME 

O N E: This first one doesn't specifically deal with being "tidy", but it does set the stage for everything I'm about to say. Try to wake up around the same time every morning {those of you with kids, get up 30 minutes-ish before them if you can} and have some YOU time. For me this includes: coffee, Jesus Calling devotional, and a good scroll through Instagram.

T W O: Make your bed {and your kids' beds} AS SOON AS YOU {they} GET OUT OF IT. In fact, once old enough, teach your children to make their beds {not to perfection, but just the routine of it}. Even as a child, it was a requirement that I make my bed before leaving the house. It has always stuck with me. To this day, I cannot leave the house with an unmade bed. Weird? Maybe, but I promise it helps you feel accomplished first thing in the morning. It takes less than 2 minutes, and it really helps things look and feel tidy. Just do it.

T H R E E: After toys {or any other item} is taken out and used, put it away before moving to another location within the house. Two practical examples: 1) Emerson has a basket of blocks in her room. She loves pulling them out and scattering them across her room. NO PROBLEM there, however, I require that SHE HELP me put them back in the basket before we leave her room to go to another room. 2) We don't have a "master bathroom", meaning we all use the same one. So, hair products/styling tools, make up, etc is all stored in containers and/or baskets in the bathroom. Once I used my flat iron, I put it back in it's designated location to eliminate items from stockpiling on the bathroom counter. And for the record, the only thing that permanently stays on the bathroom counter is the soap dispenser. Everything else is stored in baskets/containers under the sink, in the medicine cabinet (behind the mirror), or in the linen closet. This is SO HUGE in eliminating unsightly clutter and unnecessary piles of stuff.

F O U R: To eliminate piles and piles of sky high laundry, start a load first thing in the morning. Do a load a day if necessary. This has been something I've been working on starting myself actually. Usually Trey + I do our own laundry, I think I have trust issues {haha}. But, recently his laundry pile has reach monumental proportions causing me slight anxiety, so I have just been doing his laundry for him. Realistically, this is helpful to him because he isn't here much, so he doesn't always have time to do it and/or he's scrambling to wash his work clothes at 9p in order to have them for the next day. Nevertheless, I now do laundry before Emerson wakes up + it has helped keep piles at a minimum.

F I V E: Straight up, get RID of stuff. Dedicate a month to going through each room in your house {a couple days at a time} and eliminating any and everything that isn't loved, or more importantly, used on a regular basis. This includes TOYS {!!!}, clothing, shoes, pens, paperwork, toiletries, and the like. I'm not a disorganized person, but I was stunned at the amount of STUFF that we had prior to decluttering recently. It is seriously FREEING to just get rid of it. Not only does this increase storage space for what you DO NEED, but it provides you with a cleaner, less cluttered environment. I posted this recently, but less stuff=less cleaning, more stuff=more cleaning.

S I X: I might catch some flack for this, but hang with me. Vacuum and wipe down your counters at least ONCE a day. I say "vacuum" not to mean the entire house every day, that should occur every couple of days. But, I used to vacuum certain spaces in our home like up to 3-4 times a day, which I agree is a little ridiculous. I have since cut down on that to now MAX 2 times daily. I try to only vacuum after dinner {or after meals, because let's be honest, I have a very messy toddler}. I wipe down the counters if there's a spill or something, but usually I do that after dinner, once we're pretty much finished using the counters for the day {for the most part anyway}. But crumbs and dirt on the floor are not pleasant on one's bare feet OR to the eye, so it's beneficial to everyone to get those up on a daily basis. Also, this is totally a personal choice, but we don't typically wear shoes in our house {unless others come over} because SO much bacteria and disgustingness is housed on the bottom of our shoes. Just think about all the places they touch during the day {um, public restrooms...*GROSS*}. I don't want that stuff coming into our home and leaving traces on the floors only to be picked up by my child when she inevitably eats food and other items off of the bare floor. Again, a personal choice, but one you may want to consider.

S E V E N: Give everything a home. It seems overwhelming, and it can be sometimes, but I promise once you  know where everything is and where it goes, it eliminates so much confusion and stress when it's time to clean up and/or find something. This is not to say that sometimes the designated space isn't overrun with items {like my hair styling basket for example-seen below}, but at the least, I know exactly where to look to find any hair styling item I may need without having to search multiple locations. Again, this is where eliminating unnecessary items is helpful. :)

E I G H T: Similar to seven, have a designated spot for everyday items, specifically those that are needed when leaving/entering the house: keys, wallet, purse, shoes, diaper bag, etc. We have hooks + a basket by the front door for all of Trey's daily items. I have more hooks in the mudroom for  jackets, umbrellas, and keys. Then in our hallway we have a hall tree bench, that hangs Trey's hats, the diaper bag and my purse. I know exactly where to look for all of those things, so if we're ever in a hurry, we know exactly where to go to grab what we need. I'm telling you, it saves so much time.

N I N E: Before you call it a night, do a once over of the house to straighten up. That, for me, includes washing the dishes and/or putting them in the dishwasher {An empty sink is HEAVEN in the morning}, and I like to straighten the pillows on the couch, refold any blankets that were used, pick up + put away shoes that were worn that day, etc. Waking up to a tidy house ensures a less stressful morning.

T E N: The least favorite, but equally as important for sanitary reasons: dusting and mopping. I don't do this every day. No, no. I try to do this at least one a week though, but if I'm being really honest, sometimes it's every two. I would say try to keep it at AT LEAST every two weeks to eliminate major dust bunnies {which are linked to allergies in this house} and disgusting stickiness on the floor. :)

So, there you have it. Ten ways to keep your house tidy on a daily {or weekly in some cases} basis. If you averaged the time it takes to do all of them in a day, I would say you are at about 30 minutes {assuming you already have designated spots for everything}, which is not a whole lot of time when it comes to keeping your home stress-free. Hopefully you've found something helpful here, and as always, if you have questions or comments, please let me know. :) Have a wonderful rest of your weekend, friends!