In the garden: April update

by on April 13, 2013
in nesting · 1 Comment

AprilGarden

Did you hear that?  The collective sigh of happiness from those of us finally getting to experience Spring?  Or maybe the whoops of excitement from a certain mama who was practically turning joyous cartwheels after the last snowflake melted? At last!  (My apologies to those of you who just received another fresh batch of the white stuff while I’m gloating about our weather).

It is still very quiet around here, but if one looks closely signs of warmer days and green, growing things are there.

Our family is excited to garden this year.  This will be the first spring in quite some time when I haven’t been pregnant or had a brand new baby, so I’m especially eager to get out there and see what we can do with this little back yard space of ours.

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Project Simplify: Drawers and Shelves

by on April 9, 2013
in nesting · 7 Comments

springcleanshelvesInProgress

My friend Tsh is hosting Project Simplify this year over at Simple Mom.  The timing is perfect for me.  The spring sunshine is revealing all the dust and dirt and I’m itchy to whip things into shape around here.

Project Simplify on Simple Mom

This week’s challenge is drawers and shelves. 

I may have bitten off more than I can chew this week, but I’m already working with a lovely group of friends on facebook as we spring clean and this week I’m in our homeschool room/library/home office.

In other words, tackling the shelves and drawers this week is exactly what I need to be doing.

Note:  slow and steady wins the race and there is no way I’ll finish this in just one day.  So, look for this post to be updated with photos as the week goes along.  My plan is to set my timer and tackle these shelves fifteen minutes at a time.

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Rhythm in Action: Real Family Routines for Morning, Mealtime, and Evenings

by on March 21, 2013
in nesting, parenting · 22 Comments

routineschalkboard

Tax Season is upon us here at the Simple Kids household, which means I don’t have a lot of writing time on my hands these days. As Amelia was watching out the window at the garbage truck yesterday (Trash day is a favorite part of our weekly routine) I thought  of this post from the archives you might enjoy on rhythm and routines, originally published in March of 2010.

During the month of March at Simple Kids we’re talking about rhythm and routines.  Keeping in mind that every family’s needs are different and therefore every family’s routines work differently, I thought it would be fun to ask some real moms with families in a variety of situations and ages and stages of childhood what their morning, meal, homework, and evening routines look like.

I was inspired by their answers and I found a few tips that I think I can incorporate into my family’s rhythm.  I have a feeling you’ll be inspired by these families, too.

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Confessions of a cloth diaper drop out (and how I got back on the fluffy bottomed bandwagon)

by on March 4, 2013
in nesting, parenting · 44 Comments

clothdiaperdropout

Those of you who know me might be a little surprised by this post.  After all, for over a decade I’ve had at least one baby in cloth diapers and have spent many, many years with two in cloth diapers at a time.

I knit wool soakers, I peruse etsy for adorable handmade diaper covers, I have participated in online forums devoted to cloth diapering, and (okay, I’ll admit it) I take a tiny bit of pride in being “old school.”

However, (and this is an important point), as I often say, one person’s “simple” might be another person’s “complicated.”   It turns out that last year one of those things that used to be a cornerstone of my simple living parenting life was overwhelming me.

So, I became a cloth diaper drop-out.

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The Friday Five: 5 favorite reading spots in our home

by on March 1, 2013
in books and music, nesting · 6 Comments

suessREAD

Happy Read Across America Day!  This is a day we set aside to remember that you are “never too old, too wacky too wild, to pick up a book and read with your child.”

For today’s Friday Five I’m sharing 5 of our favorite reading spots in our home – the places where we love to curl up with a good book.

5 Favorite Reading Spots in Our Home

Reading

1. Amelia’s favorite spot is on Daddy’s lap with all of her siblings around her (I know I’ve shared this picture before, but it is one of my favorites of my favorite people).

Amelia’s favorite book right now is Where is Baby’s Belly Button by Karen Katz, which her big brother Max gave to her for Christmas because of her obsession with belly buttons or “gong gongs” as she calls them.

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