Bathroom Additions

At 3rd Sunday Market I also picked up two funny signs for the kids' bathroom.  I LOVE this one!  It's so appropriate & I may have to keep it up forever as they become teens!

This one is also pretty funny - right behind the toilet!

I paid $20 for the pair!

Aubrie's Room Redo

Recently my Mom came down and freshened up Aubrie's room a bit.  It was very shabby chic & that's not really me.  So she brought out an old duvet & some different sheers & voila - a new room.

Aubrie thought a fairy did it and was BEYOND excited!

Aunt Abbie loaned her a white vinyl chair that works perfectly in here.

Sparkle Pig & Sparkle Kitty protect her when she sleeps.  She also has a doll she named after her best friend, Millie, that was sewn to look like her - and boy it does!

Love her dresser ($40 steal!) & the fabulous picture by Jamie McDonald, my photographer friend.  She loves her stuffed animals - can you tell?!

More treasures and my hope chest I got when I turned 18.

Another view of Aubrie's new bright & cheery room!

Oh my - her father's daughter - see the bobble head Cardinals player!  Also, can you see all her snow globes.  Yes, she's 4 and collects snow globes year round.  She REALLY wants to share her room with the baby, so I explained that we may have to pack up some of her stuff that there won't be room for it all.  She was sad about the snow globes, but decided it was worth it for the baby - she's so sweet!

So this is her room redo, but alas it will change in the near future when baby #3 joins her in this room.  It will get a brand new look & she'll get a twin bed - so much work to do!

Daddy - O

Happy Birthday to the BEST Dad ever!

Seriously Dad - you need a shirt that says best dad ever because it's a fact!  Today he is 51, so he's kind of old, but he can still out lift any of our husbands!  He's tough & strong, sentimental, there for you when you need him, and honest nearly to a fault.  He inspires & mentors and provides for every one of us above and beyond what he should.  I don't tell him enough, but I love him to pieces.  I have one heck of a Dad!

PS - we SERIOUSLY need to take some new pictures of you b/c I'm using the same ones over and over.

Basement Redo

OK so I found some amazing things!  My basement Before was OK, but I didn't love it.  I had a ship collection I liked, but it never felt very cohesive and a lot of my end tables were rummage sale $5 finds that I spray painted to match.  They worked, but it wasn't ever right.

That's all changed!  Flower Patch Farmgirl was so fabulous.   I had blogged that for YEARS I needed a periodic table of elements for my house.  Dear friends - she went to a school auction & got me one!  It made the room.  So now I have a "school" theme in my basement, but it's too cool for school really!

When you walk down the stairs this is what you see if you look to the left.  Don't you LOVE my table of elements?!?

This is to the right.  This is my vintage school house maps & we added the word Art.  You can also see my vintage globe collection on top of my sewing armoire.  I have 4 globes now.  The window is actually a door to the walk out patio.

I picked up these two school signs at 3rd Sunday market for $18 and the giant letters are from TJ Maxx clearance!

In all its glory - here is the Periodic Table of Elements I have been dreaming about for years and years!

Love the maps!

I picked up this fabulous little table for $42 at 3rd Sunday - it's the perfect color for down here - I love it!

I picked up this trunk for $50 - also love it!

Staging to Sell!

We officially finished Jamie's house - it is ready for sale & I'm in love with it!  It's so cute - fresh & cheery!  Every room flows into the next & makes a cohesive look.  Pop on over to Ethel Edith to check it out!

Tub Lovin'

Oh Yeah!

I finally found the time to paint my tub.  Remember she was white before.

I LOVE it pink.  This is where I am every night.  I am not a shower girl - and don't mock me - baths aren't dirty!  This makes me so happy and I hope you like it too.  If you liked it better white - shush it because I am in love :)

A Burning Pit!

Well it's started...

I'm already hungry 100% of the time like I was with Aubrie.  I pray I don't gain 60+ pounds again!  Today I had a cheese stick & almonds.  I must eat breakfast, then at 10, then lunch, then by 3, and dinner ASAP so I don't eat my fist.

But oh joy - we discovered that Digiorno isn't delivery, but it's delicious!  Why was I fooled with Jack's pizza for so long?  Digiorno - I heart you!

Getting Mature!

My baby got her 4th pair of glasses this weekend.  Doesn't she look like such a big girl!

She's such a sweet - I just love her to pieces!

If you missed yesterdays post - hop back one - sure to be a shocker!

A Family Tree

There is a day in most of our lives when we become the "Big" one.  For me it was when my brothers arrived, but I was unaware - so it was really April 10th of 1985 when Abbie came into this world and shook up my life.  I thought she was so annoying & now she's my best friend.  Then I became even bigger when Maggie arrived December 19th of 1986.  She was something else & still is - stupid in a good way I say!

For Aubrie Grace it was August 16th at 4PM.  Her life changed when we welcomed her overly chubby baby brother into this world.  She fights like crazy with him, but loves him to death.

Everett has recently became quite sad and mad.  You see, he's going to be a big brother!  Yes you may need to reread that sentence.  He's going to be a big brother in February!  He is not very excited about it...yet!  He says "NO BABY!"  I think he'll come around soon!  I hope anyway - he's a Mama's boy so jealousy will probably be an issue!

We are VERY excited & it's early so we ask for your prayers.  I feel silly posting this now, but Mom is dying to spread the news and an abundance of prayers is never a bad thing.

Just so you know - I feel GREAT!  Obviously my 6 pound loss will come right back on in a hurry, but it's well worth the cause!  I think the last month of eating right & working out was a good start to "BaRecipes" life.  Yes - Aubrie is back to BaRecipe as the name.  Aubrie is beyond ecstatic and wants to repaint her room, get bunk beds, and help in every way to be the best sister ever.  I wrote that on here so one day I can remind her she promised me she'd be the nicest and best sister ever!

So, now you are joining me as I have to redecorate 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, and a basement - not because the baby - because I'm a freak like that!  You also join me as I further dive into motherhood, ditziness, lack of sleep, oh god the painful nursing, and multi-tasking to an extreme!

  Oh did I mention diapers?  I'll be back to diapers too!

Eek - so much to do - so much excitement!  Thank the lord I have kept EVERYTHING in my basement so I have tubs and tubs of bottles, blankets, and clothes to sort through!

Oh and if my feet become the size of flowerpots AGAIN - you'll see those too!  This is the good, bad, & ugly of my life after all :) 

Our Show Photos

Head on over to Ethel Edith & take a look at our booth from our show this past weekend.  We had a great time and oh how we LOVE 3rd Sunday Market!  We filled up half the trailer with new purchases for our homes (remember there are 4 of us!).  I scored several signs & an amazing trunk & table for my basement!  I can't wait to share them with you soon.

It was HOT!

P.S.  Flower Patch Farmgirl is my new best friend.  She located a vintage Periodic Table of Elements for me.  It has arrived - so a basement makeover will be happening in the near future.  Mom - Gear Up because I need you on my make over team!

Whimsy

So I have it figured out...

I got an email from a great blog reader, Tricia.  She told me that she got a tattoo of a tree & birds, because we give our children roots & then wings.  This sounds PERFECT for me because I adore trees & what a true statement.

I want something really whimsical and feminine on my foot.  I don't want it to be dark or thick and heavy looking, because that's just not me. 

I love only the top of this tree & would love it even more in pinks, turquoises & purples.  The bottom of it I HATE!

I also love the top of this tree & the trunk I like better.  It's obviously huge & I'm not sure how it would look shrunk down to my size 7 foot.

I have decided I want a J + A on the tree trunk & then a pink bird & a blue bird in the sky for my babies.  So now I just have to find someone to draw exactly what I want, or take it to a tattoo artist & let them work their magic for me!

I'm going Friday, July 2nd with my two best girls to St. Louis for the night & I've been told of an amazing artist down there at Iron Age.  So I am thinking maybe we'll pop in and see what I can do.  I may come home with an amazing piece of body art! 

3rd Sunday Market

We are all setup & have an amazing booth!  Come see us!

3rd Sunday Market

8-4

Bloomington, IL

$6 to get in for all the food, fun, furniture you can take!  Bring tie straps b/c you'll look like a Clampett when you leave!

PS - Happy Father's Day to my dear husband.  You are the best Dad & seeing you with our kids makes me fall in love with you all over again! 

(Ha - I had to whip out a good one - yes when he's sweaty out comes the bandana - not quite Bret  Michaels style, but still pretty classy none the less!)

Also, Dad - you are the best!  You raised us to be wonderful women & wives & you have worked so hard in your life to provide us the childhood we had and the future we will have.  You are amazing in every single way - the list goes on and on!  I'm so proud to call you my father! 

I love you both!

Fairy Talk

OK - so I'm not going to win the parent of the year award.  Why???

Because I lie to my kids.  Sometimes "good" lies are helpful.  I think my Mom will agree on this one.

My kids have vivid imaginations, which is great & helpful to my lying.  They both have a STRONG belief in fairies.  I'm not a dream squasher so yes, I promote and spin fairy stories in my house daily.

It all started with bedtime.  We had kids getting out bed, scared of the dark, the general - not wanting to sleep going on in our house.  Solution - fairies.

Fairies live up in the trees with the squirrels and birds & at night they come out to watch my kids sleep.  You didn't know that did you?  They "protect" them and bring them good dreams.  Sidenote, so does Jesus - we pray about dreams too.  Anyway, this THRILLS my kids.  Everett has a tractor for his ceiling fan pull & Pixie sits up in his tractor at night above his bed.  They sleep better and just love the idea of fairies in their rooms.

So we take it a step further to make it even more believable.  Yeah - we are "that" parent.  We whip out the flashlights at dark & let moths come up AKA "fairies" & we tap the wind chime.  So the fairies dance and sing & again my kids are beyond ecstatic.  We also leave fairy notes & glitter behind some nights.  We took it so far that Mom, Ruby, and we have fairy houses in our flower beds as well.  Again they LOVE it!

So yesterday, my wonderful Mom - or giant fairy Janie - paid a visit to my house.  She put up new curtains, gave Aubrie new bedding, rearranged & painted her lamp even.  Talk about thrilled!  (pictures to come soon I hope!)

Then she opened Everett's curtain behind his bed.  We have never opened it because his bed is against that window.  Apparently, he never knew he had a window there at all.  It was like she painted his entire room & everything in it.  Talk about happy & loving his bedroom!

So thank you Mom for teaching me "good" lies and for playing the generous fairy!

Aubrie Swims!

The stinky part about working a full-time job is that I miss the day time things that I would like to see.  For example, Aubrie's swimming lessons - I saw one of the 5 days she went, only because it was Memorial Day.

Luckily, her last day - someone snapped me some pictures that just crack me up!  Look at my brave baby going off the "plank" diving board as she calls it.  I can tell she's terrified, but trying to be brave.

The approach...

The jump...

Look at that chin tucked - full of fear!  What a brave girl!

Here she is with her swimming teacher.  Don't you love how her goggles are all wonky on her head!  Plus the ear band protecting her ear tubes!  This picture kills me!  The price you pay to see (remember they are prescription goggles for her +5.75 vision needs!)

Shakeology Details

OK - so someone asked me about this Shakeology business.  I thought it would be easier to just lay it out in a blog rather than a big message.

Shakeology is a once a day meal replacement that comes in chocolate or greenberry.  I've never had greenberry b/c the color weirds me out, but I love the chocolate.  So does my husband, and trust me ladies - he ate pure crap every day!  He knew the best Casey's location in a 3 county area for the best breakfast sandwich, he loved double cheeseburgers, and any kind of rockstar energy drink was his friend.  He also has high cholesterol.  PS - we are retesting in 2 more months & bet you money it's down!

So we took the plunge & love the shakes.  I personally have more energy, less cravings, and definitely better digestive health - LOVE it!  It's really easy for me to make.  I have mine for breakfast & I mix one cup milk, some powdered peanut butter, and instant coffee crystals with ice.  It's delicious & really whipped & filling.  So far I'm down 5 pounds, partly to Shakeology & partly because of P90x.  Jade is down 12 pounds!

Now the price you are asking.  It's $4 a day, but if you are eating fast food for lunch - if you replaced lunch - it's cheaper than a meal at the drive thru.  Now, if you sign up to be a beach body coach you get a 25% discount off of everything!  This means their amazing supplements & their workout DVDs.  No one even has to know you are a coach unless you want them to.  So if you are a coach it's $3 a day.  This is WHY I am a beach body coach b/c Jade & I both are on this shake, and it's a huge savings for us.  Not because I have a beach body YET anyway.

So far I love beach body because it's a company committed to life fitness & healthy nutrition.  So they offer supplements, but they also push exercising & making healthy food choices.  They aren't the "quick" fix to thin we are constantly looking for. 

So anyway, if you are interested and want more information, please click here or email me.

Oh and Miss Smith - you could totally rock P90x if I can.  It's all about pushing yourself to your level of intensity - which I promise isn't the same as the people on his DVD, but if you do what you can do - it's very possible & still an intense & rewarding workout!

Below are the facts straight off their website:

Shakeology can help you:

• Lose weight
• Reduce cravings
• Increase energy and stamina
• Promote healthy digestion and regularity
• Lower cholesterol

 

How Shakeology works:

• Ingredients derived from whole-food sources deliver the daily vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients your body needs to curb cravings, allowing it to shed stored fat.
• More than 20 different antioxidants and phytonutrients help reduce free radical damage that can lead to heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, and stroke.
• Fiber, prebiotics, and digestive enzymes help your body gently eliminate toxins more efficiently and promote better absorption of nutrients.*

  

What’s in Shakeology

• Protein and essential amino acids help build muscles and reduce food cravings.  
• Prebiotics and digestive enzymes aid in improving digestion, regularity, and nutrient absorption.  
• Antioxidants and phytonutrients help counteract free radical damage that can lead to degenerative diseases.
• A daily dose of vitamins and minerals provides your body what it needs to function for optimal health.