Owning It (and a few questions!)

Hey, everyone!!!   First order of business... the recipe post from yesterday... so many skeptics in the house!!! I promise... it sounds disgusting - but it's so so so good!  Do I sit down and eat a bowl full??? No.  But do I like it as a "garnish" with ham??? Yes ma'am I do.  :)  If you end up trying it - let  me know!  I'd love to know what you think and whether or not you were surprised by it.

Today I'm blogging on Erika's blog as part of her Owning It series.  I didn't think I really had any crazy to claim, but I was totally wrong.  Go check out my post, judge me for being weird and quirky, and then come back and tell me what you thought :)

Since this kind of isn't a "normal" post day I thought I'd take a minute to answer a few questions that I get on the regular...

1) Where are the canvases in your kitchen from?

They're from Canvas People and they're 16x20.  Be sure to sign up for their emails because they do AWESOME coupons!

2) How do you keep your house so clean.

I always chuckle when this question comes up because there's usually a couple baskets of laundry around as well as toys all over the floor.  Back in the Fall (November I think), my parents actually hired a housekeeper to come one afternoon a week and help me out.  They saw that I was spending almost my whole Saturday trying to wrangle kids, run the vacuum and all of that and thought that this would be something that would benefit my whole family.  And truth be told - it's been AMAZING!!!  Working full time, there's not much "extra time" and having one less thing on my plate has been the best.  

We do try to pick up at night - it makes our mornings run smoother and makes me feel like I've got "it" together :)  Before the housekeeper was hired (aka the greatest day EVER) I had a little list of chores that I did on a rotating daily basis (i.e. vacuum bedrooms on Monday, dust on Tuesday, bathrooms Wednesday, etc.).  I LOVE me some Pledge MultiSurface Spray and am a big fan of cleaning with vinegar.

Also - y'all should know that my house stays pretty tidy because we're really not home all that much.  On the weekends and during breaks my house looks like a tornado has ripped through it as my kids want to pull out every toy we have and then build a fort :)

3) Where did you get that big bag made out of a tapestry from?

It's a Day Bag II from Nena and Co and it's even more beautiful in person :)

4) Do you work out?

I wish I could answer this with a "yes", but the real answer is no.  I so admire people who have the time to commit to this, but right now, it's not at the top of my priority list.  I do the occasional workout DVD and try to stay active with my kids - but beyond that I don't do any working out.  When I get home from work I devote my time to the kids and after they're in bed I blog, do design work, hang out with Dave, meal plan, sleep (hahaha), etc.  I'm a big believer in "everything in moderation" and I like to eat yummy food - but I'll have a small helping with a salad.  If I want a cookie, I have one... not three.  Typically, a bite of sweets is enough for me.  I don't look the way I did pre-kids (I weighed under 100 lbs) and I'm fine with that!  My body has done amazing things (like grown three healthy babies!) and I appreciate it as it is now :) 

5) How do you get it all done?

I get this question A LOT and the answer is that I don't.  I'm human and things sometimes get forgotten or overlooked.  I'm the WORST at responding to emails (I always read them and mean to reply and then get busy doing something and forget) and I feed my kids pizza.  This goes back to the last question about working out... when there's a lot on my plate I have to prioritize and sometimes "me time" gets put on the back burner.  Now, don't think that I'm buzzing around like a little bee all the time.  I start folding many a load of laundry while watching Real Housewives and find that at the end of the episode there is still a lot of folding to do and I love a good nap on Sunday afternoon.

6) When do you blog?

I blog at night, after the kids are in bed.  I try to plan out posts and work on them in advance if I can (although this doesn't happen as often as I'd like).  Sometimes I'll get up early on Saturday morning and write as well.

7) Where do you get Griffin's Kitty Shoes

Aren't they the cutest??? They're by Mini Melissa and I've found them on Amazon as well as Nordstrom.  I think that they run true to size and G wears them almost every day and has never got a blister or anything.

 

8) What kind of dog is Jack Bauer?

I wish we knew!  But since he was a stray, we really have no idea.  He definitely is a poodle mix based on his curly coat (he doesn't shed!) and we think his spots may be indicative of some Jack Russel terrior.

9) Luke is about to be 7, right?  How is he still in Kindergarten?

Yes... he is about to be 7 and yes... he is in Kinder :)  You can read all about our decision to have him do a "Round 2" of PreK HERE.

10) Where did you get your boys beds from?

The beds in the boys room are the Hemnes Day beds from IKEA and the bookshelves and dresser are part of the Hemnes collection as well.

Okay... anything I missed???  Let me know if you have any other questions! 

See you tomorrow for Friday Favorites!