Spring Cleaning – BISSELL Pet Pro Carpet Cleaner Giveaway!

March 23, 2017

Every year around March I get the itch to clean the house from top to bottom, and inside and out. Anyone else? My spring cleaning routine usually involves bagging and donating any excess items we aren’t using, re-organizing drawers and closets, and deep cleaning baseboards, floors, and cabinets. Suddenly dirt seems to be more visible then ever come spring!

Before we bought this home, I slightly panicked when I saw there was ivory carpet in the main living room because I knew it would show allllll of the grime that comes with raising boys. Lo and behold, it only took a few weeks after moving in that the carpet was covered in spots and stains from very busy little feet. Needless to say, I was praising the high heavens when BISSELL stepped in to save the day. We got to try the new ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Carpet Cleaner, along with their three-step formula system, and now have what appears to be new carpet.

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Shared boys room plans.

March 22, 2017

One of our favorite aspects of this home was that there was an unfinished daylight basement. We were hoping to have some large open spaces to work with, so we have plans to finish a shared boys room, laundry room, bathroom, office/playroom, and Gabe’s work space. We are lucky enough to have my mother in law Genevieve of Pillar Design share her architectural design skills with us. We worked with her to establish dimensions and problem solve best layout options for this shared boys room. Here is what we came up with the for the shared boys room so far!

1. Pendant lamps + recessed lighting – Around the edge of the room we are going to use recessed lighting as well as these hanging pendant lamps to create even and warm lighting throughout the room. The boys will have some windows at the front of the room, but a warm even lighting can make such an atmospheric difference in a basement bedroom!

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Holding her on the other side.

March 15, 2017

Just over a year ago I took a pregnancy test. It confirmed what I already knew, and the tears streamed down my cheeks as I sat alone on the bathroom floor. You probably even remember when I wrote about it. This would be my 5th baby, and what I would soon find out is that I was already two months along. Little Rocco was only 7 months old. The tears that flowed were from waves of doubt, fear, and anxiety and I felt like I was about to drown in the unknown….

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Home Update: Before and After Lounge Room

March 11, 2017

When we first moved in this house this room was used as a dining room, and it was burgundy, so it made the room feel very small and segregated. It is located right next to the front door, and since our home is a more open layout, I knew we could use it as an extension of the family room. We painted it the same white hue (White Modern by Behr) which made it feel instantly bigger, and have used it as a lounge area since!

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Let’s talk swimsuits.

March 10, 2017

(When I was expecting Azelie last summer, wearing Rey Swimwear, GigiPip Hat)

Okay ladies. I have come to accept that I will never enjoy swimsuit shopping in stores. Surely someone will soon invent dressing room light that doesn’t make you feel like you are on the set of Stranger Things. This is why I buy them online, try them at home, return 90% of them, but still manage to find a few that will do the job;)

This year however, I have found several that are actually stellar. I think these companies finally got the memo that the female form is not a one size fits all. In fact, I think they are figuring out how to flatter our femininity instead of doing it an injustice in the form of a wrestling unitard or something that resembles a small crochet potholder. Okay I’ll stop…. it’s time to talk swimsuits!

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Backyard Patio Hangout

March 6, 2017

Family came into town this weekend, and so did the warmer temps! I used this as an excuse to bring our dead patio back to life for some weekend celebrating. We are taking a gamble that the weather is here to stay here in Georgia, so let’s see how long we can keep these plants in good condition! I think we were out on our backyard patio hangout for eight hours yesterday enjoying company and a restful Sunday…..from brunch to dinner. It was such a good way to start the week that I think we will bring back Sunday Suppers starting now!

Here are a few things I added into our backyard patio to freshen it up for Spring…
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Marriage: Loving through the rough and tough.

March 2, 2017

When many areas of your life are feeling stress or being challenged, how is a marriage supposed to function well? How can you love the other, when you yourself feel drained, tired, or void of emotional energy?

Currently Gabe and I are experiencing stress in many aspects of our life. Sometimes life feels just heavy. Yet somehow, we are ok. Our marriage is still fueling us and keeping us going. It had me thinking how this is possible when as human beings, our tendency is to shut down, lash out, or turn off when we experience pain or difficulty? Personally, my default when things get difficult is to bottle up and become numb. So today I wanted to write out a few things that have sustained us when grounds around us feel shaky.

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