Before and After -- Toy Room/Office Edition

There seems to be something about starring at paint samples that unleashes my inner overachiever. It's never enough to paint just one room at a time, I have to go ahead and turn half the house upside down when paintbrushes are pulled out. So in the spirit of all things chaotic I decided to redo the toy room/office at the same time as the downstairs bathroom. It's not like I had anything else to do. (Except get ready for a yard sale and pack for a family of 7 for a week and laundry and cleaning and serve meals and do homework and give baths and whatever else the world threw at me.)

The rest of my downstairs is all painted the same and will always remain neutral colors since it's kind of an open floor plan so I wanted to add some color to this room. I know, I know, all things neutral is where it's at these days but I really like some color in my life, especially if it's of the bright and cheery effect. So sorry 'style experts' I'm not following your advice this time. The good news is I probably won't get it painted again before bright and colored comes back around so then I'll be ahead of the game, right?

The {what were they thinking} BEFORE:

I like red, I really do, but this was a bit too orange-y, fire truck red. Not to mention it was a sad paint job to begin with and then my kids beat the tar out of it too.

We actually tore out the shelve pictured above. It seemed sort of foolish but with two windows and three doors and all those shelves (there is another set to the right of the door) there was no where left to put any furniture in there. We had a shelf with doors that close (think--hide the junk) in storage so we moved that in here instead.

Just for a few hours we had a really cool "Christmas Room."

O the chaos that we live with in between. Somehow in my head I always envision that it'll only take a day or two for these projects. One day I will learn that a month or two is more realistic.

And AFTER....

{the above picture is a more accurate color than the below}

I found this "fabric" in the shower curtain aisle at Target and fell in love. It matches my "Grapes Leaves" paint perfectly.

This comfy {but ugly} chair was a yard sale find. I {mistakenly} thought it would be no big deal to make a little slip cover for it. Let's just say it rarely looks this neat but it does make a great cozy reading corner. The pillow fabric I found at Hobby Lobby and then created a need for it. :)

If you remember this free-by-the-roadside chair ...

she cleaned up nicely!

For now we're just pretending not to notice that ugly old brown shag carpet. Truthfully, it's usually covered with an assortment of scattered toys and besides, I never have to worry about the kids spilling something on it.

Essential Oils -- Part 2

 In my last EO post (if you missed it you can find it here) I mentioned that it was the stories of how people have used oils successfully  that really got my attention. So if you read that whole post and still felt like you really didn't know what oils do, let me tell you some of our story.

 Thankfully my family came through this germ infested winter with amazing ease but when my 6 year old complained of a sore throat and an accompanying stomachache my Mama instincts instantly said 'Strep throat.' I used an oil blend called "Theives" and rubbed it right on his swollen glands whenever he complained. (A side benefit of most of the oils: being able to use them repeatedly as needed instead of waiting 4-8 hours as with tylenol or motrin.) Within 24 hours all of his symptoms were gone. Was that a little easier than dragging him (and several siblings) to the doctor, torturing him with a throat culture and 10 days of nasty tasting medicine? I think yes! Not to mention much cheaper!

  My favorite stories though are all part of "How EO's saved our Vacation." When our family traveled to Florida this Spring, I packed my little collection of oils and kept them handy. The hubs came home from work just hours before we left on our trip saying that his chest was congested and sore. Out came the Theives again and in a few days his symptoms were nearly gone too instead of mushrooming into an all out miserable cold/flu. I applied Thieves to all of us sporadically over the week as a precaution. There were a few complaints of sore throats but no one actually got sick except the Lil Miss. She spiked a fever one night right in the middle of our week long trip. My thermometer was acting all wonky that night but I'm guessing her fever was close to 103. One application of peppermint in the middle of the night brought it down noticeably and enough for her to sleep the rest of the night. By breakfast time she was fever free and back to her cheery little self. I started to loose my voice, oil of Lemon in my hot cup of tea please!

 I've had trouble with my back occasionally and it decided to "act up" the day we planned to go to the zoo as a family. I'm convinced the "Panaway" (an oil blend) and "Peppermint" saved the day.  I was able to walk all over the zoo and enjoy the day with my family. The peppermint was also kept handy during our many hours on the road through the night. A drop or two on the temples is great for helping to keep drivers alert, in addition to that steaming cup o' joe. And then for those nights when we did want to sleep but were missing our own bed, my  "Lavender" came to the rescue. If you're a mom and you know that feeling of waking up in the morning the first time your baby sleeps through the night, that "wow, that felt good, is it really morning?" feeling, (aside from the "is he/she still breathing" panic, of course) THAT is what I feel like in the morning these days, thanks to Lavender.

 I was originally disappointed with the results (or lack thereof) of the oil I purchased for my high blood pressure but a simple adjustment in how I apply it is now bringing me better results than my medication (which I had quit taking anyway because it wasn't doing what it was supposed to) ever did.

  These are just a few of my experiences with EO's. I've heard testimonies for using EO's successfully for everything from pink eye and ear infections to burns, allergies and Endometriosis. But again, I don't claim to be a Doctor or an expert on EO's by any stretch of the imagination. I only share these stories to give you an idea what is available, to make you aware that there is another option besides synthetic pharmaceuticals. And again I say, if you have questions feel free to message me. I'm happy to help any way I can. If I don't know the answer, I'll do my best to track it down for you.

I leave you with this link. It's one of my favorites, a list of over the counter meds and the EO that can be used instead. Fascinating and informative!

Before & After Bathroom Edition

This is what she looked like before. She got the job done but she sure wasn't pretty. These pictures are not the best, I know. They don't show the plentiful nail holes and cracks in the wall. I tried hanging numerous things above the toilet in a desperate attempt to cover the whole mess but it never really worked. I almost forgot to take before pictures so that stuff had already come down.

That *ahem* lovely blue flowered stuff is fake tile paneling. Nice, I know.

I figured the walls underneath must be pretty bad if someone thought that stuff was a good idea. I was right! A lot more right than I expected. Good thing there are some good looking, handy, little helpers around here...this was actually one of the nicer walls.

I covered the bottom of the walls with leftover bead board wall paper from Kyra's room. It's not perfect but I find it to be a better option than the fake-y flower-y stuff. I kept the colors simple. The top is Behr's 'toasted marshmallow' and the bottom 'toffee crunch.' It really wasn't supposed to sound like a fattening dessert, it just turned out that way.

 

I debated for a while if I wanted to add any color to it. There is just something about the simple look that I really liked. I think it might have been that it somehow gave me the illusion of clean, not something my bathroom gets bragging rights on. I only wish....But I knew when I spotted this shower curtain that it was perfect. It adds just a touch of light teal, which I love.

clock -- yard sale $1

candle holder -- yard sale $1

blue candle -- Christmas Tree Shops $1.99

basket -- can't remember, it's been floating around here for years

bicycle canvas (below) -- Ollie's $7.99

shopping your own house -- priceless :)

We ended up replacing the sink. The old one was scratched and nasty and once the hubs took it out to paint behind it I just couldn't bear to put it back in. Yuck! That more than doubled the cost of the project but maybe now the bathroom will get cleaned more regularly if it actually shines a little when it's been scrubbed. Maybe.

The issue of curtains for the windows still remains. The old ones were just something I had around but never really liked, they're not going back up. Any suggestions?

One room at a time we'll get this old house whipped into shape. Up next, the toy room.

Still Learning

  I'm home alone tonight. Well, as alone as a Mama can be with 4 kids...but since they all went to bed quite early, I finally get a chance to share something with you that I've been wanting to post for awhile.
 
 Several months ago a friend of mine introduced me to Essential Oils. She had also just recently been  introduced to them and her words to me were, "Why didn't anyone ever tell me about this before?" She invited me to her home to learn more about what they are and I was simply curious, so I went. So much information was shared that day that I can't begin to share it here. (Although I wish I could, 'cause it's just so fascinating!) I did some additional investigating on my own and now I'm the one saying, "Why hasn't anyone told me about this before?" I mean seriously, EO's are mentioned over 150 times in the Bible, this is not something new. Maybe I'm the one that's been living under a rock and you all have been 'up' on all this for a long time now. If so, feel free to skip down to the end and tell me what your favorite oil is and what you use it for. I love to hear 'real life' stories! Or you can try to explain to me why you never told me about them. :)  If you're like me and you've never heard of them but you're curious, I'd love to hear from you too. I'm considering having someone come here (to my house) and share if anyone is interested or just curious.

My little collection of oils. There are only a couple hundred more to choose from.

   Here's a bit of my story....

  Ok, so technically I had heard of them before but only as used for scent in homemade cleaning supplies etc. And I wouldn't have had a clue where to find them other than a good ol' google search. (And let me just say here, as a side note, EO's are NOT created equal, so that would not have been a great choice.)

  So much of what floats around the 'www' these days is about chemicals and eating clean, sugar free and gluten free, make your own [you name it] and healthy(er) alternatives to everything. I know some of you have made big changes in your lives/diets and you've challenged me to do the same. But right now, the reality is, this house is not going to be 'anything free.' Between my lack of knowledge and time and the fact that many of those alternatives are rather pricey,  all combined with the fact that there are 6 taste testers here with some strong opinions, it's just not feasible for us right now. So while I'm doing what I can and making little changes wherever possible, hoping they add up in the long run, I was thrilled to discover that THIS is something I CAN do for my family.

  I've noticed and maybe you have too, that Doctors these days are quick to fix the symptoms. Sometimes that 'fix' creates another issue which is also treated by covering up those symptoms. It's a big messy spiral. And while I still believe in Doctors and I'm thankful for their expertise, our culture does not do Health care, we do Disease care. There is a big difference! I love that EO's work both ways. They are preventative as well as curative. I also love that they are 100% natural, good-bye to (at least some of the) chemicals around here.

  So the million dollar question you're asking right now is, "yeah, but do they work?" Let me start here by saying, #1. I'm Miss Skeptical when it comes to this kind of stuff, I'm gonna have to see it myself to believe it. That is if I even bother to try it at all. And #2. I'm Miss Cheapskate. You won't find me handing over my precious, hard earned $$ for the latest, greatest scam. But once I heard some of the stories of how people have used EO's I immediately started a list in my head of things in my family that I'd like to experiment on, with my own high blood pressure issues at the very top of that list. To date I have seen impressive results on 2 of those issues, a third one is still in the proving phase and there are at least one or two more I'd like to tackle but haven't yet. That doesn't include the 'minor' things I've used them for, fever, sore throat, headaches...for example. I'm starting to feel like an iphone commercial..."yup, there's an app oil for that."

  One of the first things I did was purchase a big old fat Reference Guide. I've only skimmed the surface of it but it's here now anytime I need it. Like I said before, there is just so much information and it's important to be informed! If you have questions, I'll do what I can to answer them but I'm still learning too. Feel free to message me if you like. And I really would love to hear from you. Have you heard of EO's before? Do you use them? How? Or is this all "Greek" to you?

 
That other stuff you should know: I am not getting paid anything by anyone to tell you this stuff. I'm simply sharing with you what I wish someone would have shared with me a long time ago. I am not an expert on any of this so do you're own research. You can start here. I am not a dealer or a sales representative. I don't sell any of this stuff but I'm more than happy to help you in any way I can. Just ask!
 

Of Sun, Sand and Spoilage...Florida 2013

 And then one day you realize that it's cold here and it's warm there. You've had about enough months of winter and you decide it's worth the 40 hours in a minivan with 5 kids to be warm again. Lucky for us, we have family in Sarasota, the perfect excuse I'd say.

And we're off...

Yup, everyone was smiley and pleasant for the whole 40 hours about as long as it took to snap a picture. Actually, over all they did pretty good. Much less stressful than the last trip when the little Miss was just a tiny baby. We played a couple hundred rounds of the Alphabet game, counted state license plates and listened to Toby Mac one. more. time. all with a good supply of junk food and juice boxes. We like to travel overnight so the kids can sleep a lot of the time. That plan works great as long as there is a good supply of this...

 But again, reality is, this was my only cup of Starbucks, most of our steaming cups o' joe came from your average scary gas station. Let me just say, the restrooms are much cleaner at 3:00 a.m. but the scare factor of the coffee is at least doubled.

  We spent part of 2 days on the beach. The first of which was rather frigid but what did we care, we played the tourist role well, sweatshirts and blankets but we were at the beach!
 

   We (ahem) 'warmed up' with ice cream afterward. No trip to Sarasota is complete without a generous serving of Big Olaf's.

 

   One scoop of food coloring, er, Superman ice cream please. It was a hit I tell you.

  The second trip was much warmer. Perfect actually.

Sand Angels :)

These 2 are only about 6 weeks apart in age and they were inseparable. They got along so well and had so much fun together from the minute we arrived until the (tearful) minute we left.

That water was C.O.L.D. but no one seemed to notice but me.

My Little Beach Babe!

  We spent a morning at the (more sweatshirt appropriate) Park.

Our super fun picnic lunch.

The little people loved it. The big kid thought of it more as an appetizer than a meal.

  We loved the Tampa Zoo so much the last time that we went back for round two. 

This guy kept himself busy capturing and documenting. I wonder where he might have gotten his shutterbug tendencies from. Hmm?

  Meanwhile in a cage nearby....

Petting sting rays ~ Big Hit!

Well, what do you know, Mom was along on this trip too.

Anybody else relate to the "we're lucky if we have at least one picture with Mom on it" issue?

  There was a round or two of golf for the guys and some retail therapy with a side of coffee shop chats for the Mommy's.

  There was a (family friendly) night on the town with a mountain of all things BBQ'd devoured in short order. Please pass the barbeque sauce and the napkins.

  We threw in an egg hunt on the last day just for good measure. Nothing like loading the kids up with a sugar stash before jamming them back in the van for hours. Since we were traveling home on Sunday, that was the extent of our Easter celebrations this year. No Sunrise service, no family feast....I have to say I missed it. It just didn't seem right to be remembering such an important event with a few worship tunes on the ipod and our gourmet lunch of beef sticks and cheese crackers.

 
  We had a great time relaxing and hanging out with these super generous people who left us take over their house and disrupt their lives for a whole week. We were generally spoiled with cheesecake and cinnamon buns and bottomless cups of coffee served with a smile and an endless supply of clean towels. Thanks guys!

 

  Miss Kyra made friends with the puppy on the first day.

 But it took her until the last day to make friends with Uncle Kenton. Silly girl!

  There was time for reading and video games and soaking in sunshine and snuggling.

Somebody found himself a best buddy for the week. 

We may have created a need here...

Thank you Land of Sun, Surf, and Ice Cream for refreshing our bodies and renewing our smiles!