A New Year: The Fun We Had and Sneak Peek Kitchen Remodel

 

Happy 2013! I thought it would be fun to share a few pictures from our Christmas and New Year's adventures. It was for the most part a really relaxing and fun holiday season filled with blessings and God's goodness. Above is our short, fat tree with presents packed underneath, ready to get ripped open by three sets of tiny hands.

 

Here they go! My older two sons were so excited on Christmas morning. Their favorite toys were Rescue Bots. I loved how cute they were in their footie p.j's running around the house.

Here's our youngest child-it was baby boy's first Christmas! Back in February, I wrote a post about our Unexpected Gift-this perfectly sweet, little newborn that arrived into our lives and I can't believe is about to turn one! And we are very, very close to adopting him-just another month or two before he's our forever child! I am so thankful that we made room in our home and hearts for this little blessing. He is truly a joy and I'm so glad I'll get to be his forever mom.

On Christmas morning, I made these amazing strawberry and whipped cream filled crepes, with a light dusting of powdered sugar. Of course, they were devoured by all and gave us the energy to go on a nice walk through the woods at our favorite metropark.

Our boys loved exploring the woods and suspension bridge on our walk while baby boy was content on daddy's backpack.

I was really happy we got snow for Christmas! Right up until Christmas, we had warm temperatures and not a hint of snow. Here's our house and yard in the winter wonderland that finally came:

On New Year's Eve, we went to an event at our zoo for kids called "Noon Year's Eve". The ball goes up at noon and everyone cheers and drinks apple juice while the confetti flies everywhere. It was cute to see the excitement on my boys' faces and that they got to have some fun because there was no way I was letting them stay up until midnight. I actually wasn't even able to stay up that late myself...

I don't really do "New Year's Resolutions" but if I did, getting organized would be on there.( I'm proud to say I did work hard on getting rid of some clutter in my crafting space)It seems like e
very January I usually get the itch to do some kind of remodeling or repainting project. No surprise, right?
So, what we're working on now is a very inexpensive project to create open shelving in our kitchen. All I had to buy was a $13 can of special primer that goes on over laminate. I am so glad I discovered this stuff-it is so easy to work with and I was able to paint right over it in the color I wanted.  
I'll go ahead and show you a sneak peak of what we're working on:

First, we removed these plain laminate cupboard doors...

Then, after a light sanding, I primed the edges with the amazing Zinnser BIN primer. The stuff goes on so smooth over the shiny laminate, dries really fast and actually doesn't have as strong of an odor as the can says. Still, I cracked a window and had a fan going so I would still have brain cells left over. In the morning, I painted the primed edges a soft gray I had saved from my living room called Sharkey Gray.

 I'm still not done finding where to put everything so it looks nice and organized, but I love this arrangement so much better. It visually opens up my narrow galley kitchen and shows off pretty colors and baskets and is a lot easier to just grab a plate or cup. I love my organized spice rack that sits conveniently above my stove too. I'm glad we chose this cheaper option instead of paying for all new cupboards.

We do plan on hiring a contractor at some point to open up the wall between the kitchen and the dining room, install concrete countertops and move the sink over so more of a back window can be seen. Until then, we will try doing what we can to transform the rest of the plain laminate into something that blends with the more traditional style of the rest of the house. We shall see what we can come up with on the cheap...

Thanks for visiting ReMadeSimple! I can't wait to share my adoption pictures with you as well as kitchen progress, my final bathroom redo from last fall and some furniture projects I worked on last summer. I hope you'll come back for more!

 

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My Summer Bucket List: 10 Things to Do Before Summer is Gone!

The weather is getting warmer and summer is just about here! And this month's issue of Better Homes and Gardens had a really great idea: Create a summer bucket list (or "sand pail list") of things you want to do before summer slips away. 

 I'm one of those people that can get so busy taking care of my kids and home that I sometimes forget to get out to that event or adventure. And, of course, summer is the easiest time to get out and have fun (at least here in the Midwest).

But, this year I'm determined to try do do as many of these as possible. And, because my kids aren't in school yet, I consider summer lasting until mid-September. So, here goes! 

My Summer Bucket List: 10 Things To Do Before It's Gone! 

1. Take the family to the beach. We don't live near the ocean, but in the Great Lakes area there are a few nice places to go that are just a short drive away. These were some of my best memories growing up and I want my kids to have fun making sandcastles and splashing around in the warm water together. 

2. Go on some family bike rides.  Our 2 and 3 year old boys have had a blast riding in one of these while daddy "drives". 

A little challenging to do right now with all of us since our 3 month old is too young for a bike trailer, but I plan on finding a babysitter for a few afternoons until little guy gets bigger so I can ride too.  And it will be fun next spring-because we can all go! 

3. Paint the older boys' bedroom. Because it's easier to do with windows open to let fresh air in. The plan is to rip up the cheap carpeting, paint the floors white, walls gray with orange and navy accents. I want to stencil cute transportation pictures, like airplanes in the air, cars on a track down lower on the wall and maybe a few chalkboard sections? Oh, and some stenciled glow in the dark stars on the ceiling, pennants and name banners. (Here's a link to my Pinterest Kids Room Idea board for their room if you're interested in taking a peek).

Source: landofnod.com via Kristina on Pinterest

4. Grow an Italian garden-with Roma tomatoes, zucchini and basil. And, at the end of the summer, I want to make and freeze big batches of homemade pasta sauce, oven-dried tomatoes and pesto with the mini harvest. This one won't be hard to do because I've done it for the past few years and everything is already planted, thanks to the hubby! 

5. Attend an outdoor concert. We have a beautiful outdoor amphitheater at our zoo and I am super excited that I got tickets to see and hear the beautiful Sarah McLachlan! I am treating myself to an early birthday present on June 27th. I've been a fan since the 90's and I can't believe in her latest tour complete with symphony orchestra she is stopping by neck of the woods!

Source: google.ca via Legacy on Pinterest

6. Go to a summer festival. Our area is full of art and culture and every summer their are festivals nearby to celebrate all of these things. My favorite one is coming up this weekend-the Old West End Festival-located in a historic district with gorgeous Victorian houses. The streets will be filled with art displays, music, huge yard sales, good food and fun kids' activities. Hopefully it won't be hot!

7. Garage/yard sales. I want to take advantage of some treasures I might find for my crafty projects as well as clothes for the kids-the best time of year for this because there are some neighborhood-wide sales to sift through.

8. Schedule out a family vacation. I'll looking into beach house rentals mid-September somewhere on the east coast-hoping to catch a good deal and visit some east coast friends along the way!

9. Schedule a fall/Christmas crafting party. Last year, I held one of these at my house in the beginning of September with a few crafty friends so we could get a head start on fall and Christmas decorating and also homemade gifts before the season got too hectic to even think about making something homemade. It was a blast and I want to do it again!

10. Me time! Being a mom to 3 little boys is more than a full-time job. It can be hard to escape and relax but it is necessary! I want really appreciate the beauty of being outdoors and take a break from all the busyness.

Like sitting on the porch at night with a few candles, laying out on my hammock under the trees, taking a bike ride all by myself, journaling, or wandering around a pretty park or beach just to unwind...

Don't let summer slip by...what are you wanting to do this season?

Printing out this list, sticking it on the fridge and hoping for a summer filled with fun, relaxation and adventure! 

Winter Came!

Well, I was "dreaming of a white Christmas" but that never came...we have had unusually "warm"

(above freezing) weather here in the Midwest with barely any snow. Daffodils and bees have been confused and have been growing/flying around! Unheard of in January here.

  As much as I have enjoyed letting the boys run around outside in the sunshine, I missed the snow! Yes, I'm a cold-weather lover. For the most part. Crazy, I know. I just like to enjoy every season.

So, we have had this book "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats and have been reading it

to the boys, waiting, waiting for a day of sledding and making footprints. And today, winter came! 

We got to take the little sleds out and walk around the block, and play in the yard. We loved it! 

Here are a few photos of our snowy morning together:

I hope we get even more snow than this--I love sitting here watching the snowflakes fall. But I do always look forward to spring, and I have a few ideas to show you of what can help get you through the long winter that I will post next! Stay tuned...and thanks for visiting ReMadeSimple!