Monday, September 30, 2013

Share Your Stuff Tuesdays!


Wow, I hope your week has been a little calmer than mine was around here!  I guess it's just the beginning of 'that' time of year!  Lots of running (the errand kind, because you know I don't run!), school activities, soccer games, fall yard work, and just general craziness have been filling our days this week!  So I am extra happy that it is time for another party-it gives me an excuse to get lost in blog-world for a little while to check out all of your great posts!  As always, I would love to hear what your favorites are this week or if you give any of these projects or recipes a try for yourself!

Remember, by linking up today...you are sharing on three blogs:


Interested in co-hosting?  Send me an email: erin@ourtableforseven.com

Let's take a look back at last week's party:

The post with the most views was:


Favorites from your hosts:












  • Share Your Stuff Tuesdays will be held weekly.  The party will be live on Monday nights and be up until Friday morning.
  • Feel free to link up any family friendly post created by you.  Link to your post directly, not your home page.
  • Please link back to : Table for SevenSimple Life of a Fire Wife or Cookin' Mimi  in your post.
  • Be social! Visit some other blogs and leave some kind words.
  • Make sure the photos you submit are your own and please pin from the original source.
  • Each week, there will be project features..so, check back in :)
  • By linking up, you are giving  permission to use your photo and link on of the hosts social media sites.



  • Time to Share!



    Monday, September 23, 2013

    Share Your Stuff Tuesdays!


    Happy Fall!  I hope you are enjoying some cooler days and starting to pull out some of your favorite Fall recipes and decorations!  If you are looking for something new to try or needing some inspiration, you are in the right spot!  I can't wait to see what all everyone has been up to this week!

    I'm so happy to be co-hosting with Erin at TableForSeven again this week, and am excited that Micha from Cookin' Mimi is joining us this week too!  Check out their blogs for some wonderful recipes!  I would love to hear what your favorite posts are this week!

    Let's look at some great shares from last week...

    The post with the most views..



     Some favorites from the hosts...











  • Share Your Stuff Tuesdays will be held weekly.  The party will be live on Monday nights and be up until Friday morning.
  • Feel free to link up any family friendly post created by you.
  • Please link back to : Table for Seven, Simple Life of a Fire Wife or Cookin' Mimi  in your post.
  • Be social! Visit some other blogs and leave some kind words.
  • Make sure the photos you submit are your own and please pin from the original source.
  • Each week, there will be project features..so, check back in :)
  • By linking up, you are giving  permission to use your photo and link on of the hosts social media sites.


  • Time to Share!

    Saturday, September 21, 2013

    GOOD-BYE TOYS!!

    Ah yes, Fall is finally showing signs of appearing!  Cooler nights, crisp mornings, sweatshirts heading to school with the kids, and jeans (yay jeans!).  I am beyond ready for this season to kick into full swing!  I'm loving the hints of Fall around my house, and the pumpkins growing in my backyard have begun to make their way to the front porch.  Delight :)  Did I mention that I love Fall?!

    One of my favorite parts of this time of year is the big toy clean out we do every year.  We actually do this twice a year, but the one in the fall is usually the BIG one.  We go through all of the toys together with the kids and toss anything that is broken or missing pieces, and pick out the toys they no longer play with to donate.  They are usually pretty good about this task.  They come up some things to donate, and then with some forcing urging from mom, they decide on a few more.  This usually takes place sometime in mid October to early November, but lately I have been really itching to clear out some space.  So last week I told them we were going through all of the basement toys (where their play area is).  Even though it felt like pulling teeth to get rid of things this time, we did end up with a large bag of trash and a large bag to donate-not too bad; it would have been acceptable to any 'normal' person...

    But of course I am not 'normal' so the story doesn't end there.  I kept going downstairs day after day, looking at the shelves full of toys.  Everything was organized and put away in its proper 'home', but there was just SO. MUCH. STUFF.  There were things I didn't think the kids needed anymore, but when we went through together they insisted that they still did so I let them stay.  Finally a few days ago though,  it really got to me, and I decided it was time for me to take a stab at the toys on my own.  So while they were at school, I armed myself with trash and donate bags and had at it!  I spent about an hour weeding through all the bins and shelves and got rid of a LOT of toys and was even able to eliminate some of the shelving units. I was one happy Momma!! This is my end result: 



    The 'before' wasn't horrible, but for this OCD-Mom it was too much!  I can't begin to tell you how much better I feel when I walk down there now.  I may or may not even smile when I look over at the toy area....(yes, organizing nerd over here). 

    And, while this space is FAR from perfect for me (I am dreaming of built in cabinets with all matching containers that are hidden behind closed doors), it is much better than it looked a week ago.  And even though we got rid of more than half of our toys in a week's time, my kids have not complained about it once.  I'm not sure they even notice.  They are probably happy they have less to clean up :)  What is your method of keeping toys organized and contained?  I am always looking for new ideas on toy storage, so I would love to see or hear what works for you! Feel free to leave a link to your page in the comments if you have posted about this same issue!

    Linking Up At:
    www.ourtableforseven.com
    www.houseofroseblog.com
    www.loveoffamilyandhome.net
    www.lizmarieblog.com
    www.blissfullyeverafter.net
    www.designdininganddiapers.com
    www.craftyscrappyhappy.net
    www.craftberrybush.com

    Thursday, September 19, 2013

    Book Chaos-HELP!

    Once upon a time, an organized mom gathered all of the children's books and placed them neatly in bins that were each labeled according to topic.  The children were allowed to look at the books and once they were finished they would place the book back in the 'return' basket for the mom to place back in its proper bin. It was a beautiful system.  It worked perfectly.

    Until, one day (and a couple kids later), the mom turns around and finds...dun dun dun....THIS:





    Books thrown into bins.  And not just not-neatly placed into the bins, but into the WRONG bins!  *gasp*

    And the 'return' basket turned into this mess:




    My The mom's labels were still in tact, plain as day for the kids to read and know where the books went, so I she, didn't understand why in the world the books had turned into this complete mess. 



    So now I she is looking for a new system.  She would like to know what works for you?  How do you keep your books organized?  We The woman's family has some really nice, quality books that she would like to keep in good shape for all of the kids to be able to enjoy.  But she can no longer turn her head to this chaos.  A change must be made-and fast!  So please help me her out and share your secrets of book storage!  I look forward to hearing your ideas!  I mean, she does, because of course there is no way I would let this sort of mess be sitting in my house for this long ;)  HELP!
    -Emily

    Linking up at:
    www.ourtableforseven.com
    www.houseofroseblog.com
    www.loveoffamilyandhome.net
    www.lizmarieblog.com
    www.blissfullyeverafter.net
    www.designdininganddiapers.com
    www.craftyscrappyhappy.net
    www.craftberrybush.com

    Monday, September 16, 2013

    Share Your Stuff Tuesdays-A Linky Party with TableForSeven!


    I am SO honored to be invited to co-host my very first linky party with Erin from TableForSeven this week!!  She has an incredible blog about cooking healthy and affordable meals at home that even kids will approve of!  Check it out-you are sure to find some great new ideas!

    Now, on with the fun!


    ok..Let's take a look at some favorites from last week's party:







  • Share Your Stuff Tuesdays will be held weekly.  The party will be live on Monday nights and be up until Friday morning.
  • Feel free to link up any recipes, projects..anything created by you. Also...looking for some new followers? You are also welcomed to link up any of your social media pages. So, hey! Two linky parties in one :)  All entries must be family friendly and linked to a specific page..not your home page. 
  • Please link back to : Table for Seven or Simple Life of a Fire Wife in your post or feel free to grab a button!
  • Be social! Visit some other blogs and leave some kind words.
  • Make sure the photos you submit are your own and please pin from the original source.
  • Each week, there will be project features..so, check back in :)
  • By linking up, you are giving permission to use your photo on any of the hosts social media sites.


  • Table for 7
    .



    *You are still more than welcome to link up any social media pages, but, 
    I have condensed them into one linky set *

    Time to share!

    Wednesday, September 11, 2013

    SEPTEMBER 11TH REMEMBRANCE

    I was not a fire wife on September 11, 2001.  I didn't live that day worrying that my on duty firefighter may have to respond on a similar attack on our city, or that my off duty firefighter would be called in to work on such an attack.  In fact, I can't even imagine being in that situation.  On most days I send my husband off to the firehouse and just say "See you in a couple days" without a second thought.  I don't often think about the possibility of him not coming home.  I don't think you can.  I wouldn't be able to function while he was away, and would spend all of his time at home dreading him leaving again.  But occasionally, the thoughts do sneak into my mind-the reality of his line of work.  And no, Line of Duty Deaths are not common in our area, but they do happen.  And it is a reality.  I have had dreams of seeing the chief's vehicle pulling up in front of our house and feeling my stomach dropping (and woken up in a panic that it was really about to happen).  I have even received a call from the hospital in the middle of the night, saying that my husband had been taken in and immediately had the worst thoughts come to my mind.  Those dreams haven't happened but a couple of times, but they have reminded me to at least think about the possibility.  I don't think anyone could ever be prepared for that, but I do think that as a fire wife, or military wife, or police wife, or probably any wife for that matter, it is something you need to spend some time thinking about.  Not out of fear, negativity, or self pity, but just out of reality.  I think about the fact that I have 4 children that would need nurturing as well.  How do I think I could deal with that?  Who could I lean on to help me with helping them?  And yes, I think in the actual situation all of those 'plans' would probably fly out the window; but maybe over time, having thought about these things before hand would help me to be there for them better-and to be there for myself better.  Again, this isn't something that I dwell on.  But the thoughts do pop in my mind on this day every year, as well as when ever I hear about a LODD.

    So, I ask you today to remember the 343 firefighters who lost their lives on this day 12 years ago.  Pray for their families, their spouses, and their children-some of which never even met their fathers or mothers.  My guess is that it was 'just another day' of heading to the station.  I am so thankful for these men and women who head to work like it is nothing.  And I am thankful for their families who anxiously await their return home the next morning, or a couple mornings later.  Their kids who's dad misses his game winning goal or home run, or play, or concert, or birthday, or Christmas morning.  And for the dad (or mom) who is at the firehouse, missing out on all of these times with their families.  And mostly, for the one's who are no longer here for any of these special days because they gave their life to save others.  To firefighters and fire families I say THANK YOU!  I know some shifts seem to drag on forever, and there are days you wish you could be together.  But you are the brave few who can live this life.  It isn't for everyone.  

    I urge you to also take some time today to remember your local firefighters who are sitting at the firehouse, waiting for you to call; whether it's just a typical day, or in the middle of the night, or in the middle of your Easter dinner, or birthday party, or Christmas morning when you are opening presents around the tree.  They are there.  They are ready to help you, your child, your spouse, or your parent, even if it means missing their own.  God bless these brave men and women!  And again I say, THANK YOU.

    Emily

    Monday, September 9, 2013

    MY DEEP, DARK SECRET REVEALED

    I've been living a lie for well over a year now.  Something that I'm really not proud of, and the time has come that I must take ownership of it and fess up.  I must come clean...So, here it goes: I was a vase hoarder.  The thing is that there was just so much to do when we moved into our house last year.  So much organizing, purging, cleaning, decorating, new furniture buying, painting, etc...But I just couldn't handle the thought of tackling this one space.  Didn't want to deal with it.  Didn't even want to look at it!  But, the has come for me to tell the truth, so here it is: for the past year the cabinet in my kitchen buffet has looked like...
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    wait for it...

    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    THIS:




    Tons of vases and plant baskets, just shoved in there.  Piled on top of each other, just waiting to come crashing down.  For some reason I just didn't want to deal with this mess.  Part of it was that there were vases, baskets, and planters that were given to us when my mother in law passed away 6 years ago.  I felt like I needed to keep those.  But we have not used them once in the past 6 years, so, it was time to make my move.  I started by emptying the entire cabinet out onto the kitchen table.  I must admit, once I started taking things out I was a little shocked at how much was actually in there.



    And of course, a certain little Miss thought that these all came out for her own personal enjoyment :)

    Ahh, so that's what the inside of the cabinet looks like!  
     

     I went through and weeded out the ones I decided I could part with, and came up with this donate pile.
     


    And now here is my happy vase cabinet :) So much better! I might even have space for a couple new ones sometime...! 

    So when my hubby got off duty this morning, we headed to Good Will and dropped off the ones we weren't going to keep (funeral items included-with his permission of course).  And here's the funny thing- I have been dreading tackling this cabinet for well over a year now and when I finally decided to face it, it took me less than 15 minutes.  What in the world was I waiting for?! Guess I will never know, but I sure am happy to have this project checked off my to-do list!
    -Emily
    Linking up at:
    www.ourtableforseven.com
    www.designdininganddiapers.com
    www.craftyscrappyhappy.net
    www.craftberrybush.com
    www.thirtyhandmadedays.com
    www.houseofroseblog.com
    www.loveoffamilyandhome.net
    www.lizmarieblog.com
    www.blissfullyeverafter.net
    www.yourhomebasedmom.com
    www.sixsistersstuff.com

    Sunday, September 8, 2013

    FALL IS CREEPING IN....

    This is the first weekend in a LONG time that we have had nothing going on for an entire weekend (besides church of course).  Unfortunately, hubby's 48 hour shift fell on Saturday and Sunday this week so he has missed out on our lazy couple of days.  But, with that said, I decided I would use my time wisely on something that he wouldn't want to be around for-decorating!  Despite the fact that it is hot and beyond humid still, I am ready for fall and couldn't wait any longer to start pulling the 'fall' bins out of the basement!  I haven't gotten it all up yet, but here are a few sneak peaks of fall making it's way into our house!


     And even though I haven't made it out to buy my favorite fall scent yet, I still pulled out the fall candle holder (A good excuse to go shopping this week-fall holder needs fall candle, right?!)
    And unfortunately, the weather report doesn't sound like we will be getting fall weather anytime soon either, so I guess I will just have to settle for these little bits around my house to get me through this last (fingers crossed) little stretch of hot weather!  I am ready for colorful leaves, warm clothes, and yummy treats :)
    Emily
    Linking up at:
    www.ourtableforseven.com
    www.designdininganddiapers.com
    www.craftyscrappyhappy.net
    www.craftberrybush.com
    www.thirtyhandmadedays.com
    www.houseofroseblog.com
    www.loveoffamilyandhome.net
    www.lizmarieblog.com
    www.blissfullyeverafter.net
    www.yourhomebasedmom.com
    www.sixsistersstuff.com

    Saturday, September 7, 2013

    COMMAND CENTER!

    I love organizing!  And with 4 kids and a crazy firefighter's schedule, organization in our house is a MUST! I've tried several different methods in the past, and when we moved into this house a little over a year ago, I really had to play around with some new ideas.  I am pleased with what we have come up with, although there are still some tweaks to be made.  Here's a tour of our Command Center-although it technically is more than just one center...take a look!

    This is the main part of what keeps our life together!  This room is the Butler's Pantry, although we have sort of converted it into the Butler's Pantry/Mud Room.  It is right off of our garage and opens into our kitchen.  To the left of the doorway is a bulletin board, for any notes, reminders, birthday party invitations, etc that come into our house. To the right I had my firefighter install a piece of sheet metal (he just attached it with screws and decorative washers to make it look a little more finished).  On the top I have our magnetic dry erase calendar.  Easy for everyone to see, but up high enough that little fingers can't touch and erase something!  Below that is our menu planner.  I have found that with our busy life, I need to know what is for dinner before 4:00 in the afternoon when homework is flying and everyone's my blood sugar is running low!  I also have our dry erase notebook paper which is mainly for our running grocery list.  Also a good spot for jotting down a quick reminder of something I need to get done for the day.  The bottom has my weekly cleaning schedule that I just put into a sheet protector so I can check things off with a dry erase marker and erase for the next week.  And the bottom right is a fun little file I found at Target (aka the greatest store on the planet).  It is a magnetic flip file that is great for keeping the school lunch calendar and spelling lists.





     Just outside this doorway on the left are these wonderful built in shelves.  This serves as a charging station for our phones, iPad, and iPods.  I have a couple small baskets, one for the firefighter to drop his wallet, receipts, and any other random things he seems to come home with, and a basket for my sunglasses and random things the kids throw in there. Key hooks, drawer for pens, sharpies, and post its and the open space on the bottom is great for dropping my purse or diaper bag.



      But the most important thing that this shelf is holding is our Household Notebook.  It is where I keep calendars for the rest of the year, phone lists, important school papers (contact info, class schedules, etc.), lists of favorite recipes and of course one or twoa few, several take out menus for those nights we just can't pull it together.  I also keep our most recent yearly forms from the pediatrician in case of an emergency, and quick insurance info-the last thing I want to be doing in an emergency is searching through our filing cabinet for the policy numbers!


     I used to have a "Homework Station" set up in the basement, but we have found that it works better for us to have the kids do their homework upstairs.  So I took a drawer in the butler's pantry and put things they will need for homework (this also keeps them out of my sharpie drawer!)


    So that's the 'method to our madness' around here!  What are some of your favorite ways to keep your household running?
    -Emily

    Friday, September 6, 2013

    You Know You're a Firefighter's Wife If...

    Had to steal this list! My favorite is "Everybody knows a firefighter, and will assume you know them too" Haha! This happens ALL the time!  Click on the link to check out the rest of the list!
    Stop Screaming I'm Driving!: You Know You're a Firefighter's Wife If...

    Time For Something New!

    So here it goes...an attempt at a blog! The past few years as a stay at home mom, I have enjoyed checking in on blogs of other moms as my connection to the "outside world"!  It has been a way to sort of 'talk' to other adults in between cups, snacks, diapers, and Sesame Street!  They have helped keep me motivated, encouraged, inspired, and on some days-just plain sane!  So here I am, giving it a try myself.  Hoping to share some of our day to day grind, and maybe share some of that same encouragement that I have enjoyed receiving.  I hope you enjoy the ride with me on this (sometimes not so) simple life as a fire wife!