beyondthekids.com Blog

I started this great tradition from something that was inspired from the blog by Amanda Blake Soule, which was a family draw night.  So every Tuesday we sit down at the dinner table and someone decides on a theme for the evening (last night was ‘things you find at the beach’) and we all draw pictures until the page is full!

And each week on our fridge, we swap out the new for the old.  Fabulous, right?

And this is what I love about blogging.  That from the millions of posts each day, I can see one that turns out to be an idea that changes the way we interact as a family.  Like many (although sooner that I thought as I am still a newbie blogger), I have now had a moment where I really regretted that the “private” thoughts I record in my personal blog were able to be read by someone whom I wish would just rather not have.  But, that’s the nature of the beast I suppose.  So, I look at the positive, and what I gain from being a part of the larger community and feel happy to be here.

So, enough of that!  You should try setting aside a night a week for this (or even one night a month if that is all you can manage). We always enjoy it as it breaks up our usual nigh-time dinner, bath, book and bed.  Thanks, Amanda, for helping us find ways to continue to connect as a family!

Wow!  Well, we moved!

I have had the craziest, most exhausting, roller-coaster, never-ever (*ever*)-want-to-repeat few months. Work has been endlessly and needlessly drama-filled, taxes, a surprise trip to Colorado, yucky tummy bugs for the entire family, travelling to Quilt Market in Minneapolis, oh, and did I mention moving?

The last time we moved, it was just me and DH. I can’t believe how wildly I underestimated the impact of kid stuff on our move. We even had a massive garage sale but we still have too many possessions.

Ah well, enough focusing on the agony of the move, here are some of my favourite things:

Did I mention how much I love books? This is just one of the five bookcases we have in the house, but it is the first thing you see when you come into the front door. I had seen so many great designer photos where they organized their books by color, that I had to give it a try! DH said that it would look obsessive, but after I had it all done, he said he like it! Woot! Me too!

Here is a DIY project using a $120 IKEA red dresser as an additional kitchen surface for our microwave and to store the ridiculous amount of Tupperware we own! I bought some laminated cotton by Anna Maria Horner, used spray adhesive to adhere it to the top and tacked it all around the top using upholstery tacks. Now, it won’t ruin the top of with spills etc. I know it works like a dream as one of the first things I did was put a vase of roses on top which promptly tipped over!

Next is one of my very favourite things we picked up from our consignment store but never installed at the old house.  Ta da!

And here it is from the bottom…

Cool, right? All original chrome, milk glass and heavy iron. Makes me happy every time I look at it.

So, I am sparing you photos of all of the unpacked boxes in the garage and the paint brushes sitting in the sink. Nice to be settled in a bit more and get a chance to share some of the results!

Sorry so quiet….

Tough decision making and I’m trying to use the ‘If you haven’t touched it in a year then it goes’ rule.    Must.  Be.  Strong.