Too Much

Does anyone feel like there is simply too much in their life right now? Too much to do, too much stuff, too many responsibilities.

Ben and I stayed up late talking last night about parenting issues we're having after reading this article. Our conversation turned to we can reduce the stuff in our life and increase our gratitude, both for ourselves and the kids. I've been reading a lot about minimalism and have been really inspired.

Then this morning I woke up with a mile long to-do list rolling around in my head. I just laid the kids down for naps and sat down with a huge sigh. Where did all this come from?! I was managing so well and then suddenly I get overwhelmed again. Summer is supposed to be a time for long free days, but I'm not feeling like that at all.

I'm making it a goal to reduce stress, eliminate clutter, and find time for what is important. Here are a few specifics for me:

Intentional Mornings: Ask anyone who knows me and they'll tell you I'm not a morning person. I hate getting up before 8 am, and I stay in my pajamas as long as possible. I've discovered since having kids, though, that mornings are crucial to how our day turns out. If I'm cranky and tired our whole day is off. My goal is to get up half an hour before the kids do and try a few of these ideas to improve my mornings.

Dedicated Productivity: At this moment, I'm grading papers, writing this blog post, going through photos, and answering emails. I'm going to take a wild guess and say I'd get a whole lot more done if I was doing one thing rather than all four at the same time. I am hoping to restructure my free time (do you hear my laughter? free time?! come on!) schedule so that I get more done. I'm thinking nap times for grading papers, evenings after the kids are in bed for blogging or reading, etc.

Simpler Clothes: A lot of bloggers have been posting about capsule wardrobes or pairing down their clothes lately, and I'm really loving this idea. I spend way too much time in the mornings wondering what on earth to wear, so I find I end up in yoga pants most day. I'd like to look presentable but not put a lot of effort into it. I'm thinking it's time for a "Momiform" if you will- basics that I wear most days to help me stop wondering what to wear every morning. I haven't quite nailed this down yet, but so far I've got my Everlane t-shirts, Gap Factory jeans (exact), and some simple jewelry from Target. I'm hoping to post more on this soon.

Declutter: I LOVE going through things. I find such a satisfaction in getting rid of things I don't need. After reading The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up I know that Marie and I could be best friends. That book made my soul sing. It's actually a problem to the point that Ben going through stuff before I donate it. It's funny, though, how much stuff we still accumulate. Our toys are out of control and I have stuff tucked away that I need to go through. I'm hoping to take some evenings this month to declutter at a more basic level. I'm asking myself "Do I need this now?", not wondering if I should keep it for years to come.

What about you? How are you simplifying your life this summer?

Double Trouble

Eli and Tessa recently realized that together than can cause more mayhem than alone.

Case in point: My computer doc will never have all the same apps in it again. I can't for the life of me figure out how to fix what they managed to delete in about 2 minutes. Every time I've used my computer today I realize I'm missing something new.

Oh, and might I add the pink onesie was Tessa's second of three outfits today. The first one was conquered by the sippy cup, and the second by carrots. We gratefully made it to bed in onesie #3.

The win goes to navy blue. Who thought light colors were a good idea?!

During nap time today, Eli graciously allowed Tessa to sleep for 20 minutes and then yelled "WAKE UP TESSA!" until she cried. Gratefully, she fell back asleep with me. Bonus: I finished my latest book (it was fantastic!). That ended an hour later, though, when Eli thundered into the living room from his notnap with a "Good morning, Mom! I'm done sleeping!"

Of course our only recourse was to play ball and take selfies.

 

As you can see, Tessa was not amused.

I also thought, in my sleep deprived state, that it would be a fabulous idea to teach Eli to take pictures from my phone.

Of the 20+ he took, I'd say this was his best work. Clearly he has great things in store.

Well I'm off to eat more M&M's before bed. Might as well have a little fun before tomorrow's crazy comes to town.

You've got this, mama.

There is nothing like holding your baby as she sleeps or snuggling with your toddler during a movie. That warm little body cuddles up next to yours as you pull them closer and thank God for their precious selves. I always love watching my little ones as they sleep, tracing their noses and chins, listening to them breathe. Children look so innocent as they rest.

There is also nothing like holding your screaming baby trying to comfort them or hauling your toddler to his millionth time out for the day as he yells at you. It's in those moments that I want to scream to, or maybe just curl up in a ball and cry.

Motherhood is the most beautiful and exhausting job I have ever held. I had no idea my days would be so full of everything, yet so difficult to describe. I fall into bed each night exhausted even if we never left the house. Sometimes, I feel indescribably grateful for the gift of my children. Other times I want to loan them out and go on vacation.

But you know what? It's ok. It's ok to be so frustrated with your children that you don't want to see them for a few hours. It's ok to hide in the bathroom for another minute. Mamas, allow yourself the freedom to recognize how hard and how wonderful this season is. Eat that extra piece of chocolate, cry over those sleeping babies, and find a minute to share with your husband or best friend. More than anything, let yourself off the hook. This season of littles is as hard as it is great, and you will get through it. Mamas of older kids have promised me you and I will! So let's keep getting up in the night together. You've got this, mama.

It's Been Awhile...

Hello again! It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? Life has gotten away from me, but here we are again! For those of your still reading, life has changed a bit in our home. We welcome a new baby girl, T, in December and are adjusting to life with two littles. I had no idea it was this exhausting! Or this wonderful. 

I’m working on a few new posts in hopes of re-opening the blog and beginning anew. Look for something soon!

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Marmalade Moda Charm Pack Baby Quilt

Thanks for all the love on this post! It's currently the most popular post on The Domestic Engineer. While the fabric I used isn't available any more, you can use the same type of pre-cut squares in many different patterns: Moda Charm Packs. Happy quilting!

I have a soft spot for fabric. Honestly, it's more of a lifelong love affair, and well, let's just say I have a pretty large bin of fabric that lives in my house.

Ben and I were up in the mountains over a weekend in January with some friends and we came across the most darling little quilt shop. It was filled with all kinds of beautiful fabrics and the walls were covered in quilts. When we walked in, this sweet old lady served us tea. Seriously girls, she served us tea in china tea cups. I decided right then and there I wanted to live in that quilt shop. Miraculously, I made it out without spending my entire life savings. I did, however, buy a darling little charm pack that turned into this quilt.

What's a charm pack you might be wondering? Well, Moda Fabrics sells packages of fabric pre-cut into 5 inch squares (and lots of others sizes too!). All the fabrics coordinate, but they're all different. That makes for a perfect quilt! I bought the Marmalade charm pack and turned it into this quilt I found through Pinterest.

You might have noticed a quilt in my post about the baby shower earlier this week, and that's the same quilt! My friend loved it and I had such a fun time making it.

The pattern I used can be found here and was quite simple. You just match up your squares, sew them together, and add sashing around them. All the fabrics in the center are from the Marmalade charm pack. The white was something I had left over from another project, and I bought the pink sashing and the polka dot backing at Joann's. 

I decided to try a new technique with this quilt and did a diagonal straight line quilt. I absolutely love the way it turned out! For the spacing, I moved my needle as far to the left as possible and used the right side of the presser foot as a guide. It ended up being around 1/2 inch spacing. 

Of course, Eli had to help by trying out the quilt. He seemed to give it his stamp of approval.

I absolutely love the way the colors worked together! Another great bonus was that the quilt only used 25 of the 42 squares in the charm pack. I realized that means that if I buy 2 identical charm packs, I can make 3 quilts. I'm planning to buy another Marmalade one and pick out one for boys as well. If your'e on the hunt for charm packs for your own quilt, check out Moda Charm Packs on Amazon! I'm always amazed at how much Amazon sells and their quilting precuts are no exception!