homestead // a gifting philosophy

it's the first of december.  our mantle is decorated with soft pine greenery and a spiced soy candle is almost always burning.  we have been diffusing a lovely mixture of clove and orange oils right after waking to get some holiday spirit in the air while keeping us well and good, and chopped wood logs are stacked near our fireplace ready to crackle and keep our toes warm as we hunker down for a slow, restful season.  alas, christmas time is drawing near and it starting to feel so very cheery in our home.  i have completed all of our holiday shopping (hallelujah!) which is a pretty splendid feat, given that we have not yet chopped down our tree nor have we sent out christmas cards.  all in good time i keep telling myself.  and honestly, i am in no rush this year to get any of that done.  we are taking this season one step at a time and it feels good to take small strides and not overdo everything so quickly as instagram tells us we should.  i think we'll end up enjoying the holidays much more this way.  but i must say, having the gifts all done so early is one major check off the ol' list.

so let's talk gifting, shall we?  in keeping with what we've done in seasons past, andrew and i have chosen to keep gifting rather simple again this year, especially now that we have another little elf to buy presents for.  it is so very important to us that our kids learn to cherish what they receive and not get caught up in the unappreciative cycle of wanting more and more as the season progresses and opening presents becomes a regular occurrence as the weeks march on and we celebrate christmas with different parts of our family.  that being said, and i know gifts are far from being the most important part of christmas, but that morning after santa has plopped himself down the chimney and put presents under the tree is pretty darn neat and such a special part of childhood.  i remember waking much earlier than my parents to peek into the living room to see the beautifully wrapped boxes waiting to be shaken, the red bows begging to be untied.  thinking about that time in my life gets me so giddy to play the role of santa with andrew on christmas eve as we tip toe around the creaky floorboards, our three babes tucked in their beds.

more often than not when looking for gifts we turn to toys and books and art supplies that help grow their imaginations and spark creativity.  we also love items that are well-made and we opt for quality over quantity, taking into account that less really is more when it comes to just about everything, gifting included.  here is a lovely gifting philosophy we are following this year and i am so happy to share it with you.  some of you may have heard of this before, it is such a brilliant idea. it's called "want/need/wear/read" and it's simple and straightforward.  i really love it.  it keeps things easy when shopping and sets the tone for what your kiddos will get so you don't feel the pressure to outdo the year before.  we are following this simple yet thoughtful gifting philosophy for each kiddo and then getting them a few small things to fill their stockings that hang on the fireplace.  we also decided to add a few family gifts from santa to the mix, some games we can play together on christmas day.  this year we are getting jenga and spirograph to play after we open presents.  so fun!

why keep things simple and not go crazy when it comes to gifts on christmas?  well for one, the toy situation can get out of control pretty darn fast if you let it.  i just did a post on how to organize all that chaos right here.  and then there's wanting to keep a clutter free and intentional home.  by giving your kids heaps of stuff that minimal lifestyle really isn't possible.  in our home before the holidays arrive, we do a toy purge and donate a bunch of items to local thrift stores.  toy drives are great for this too, and we try our best to follow the "one toy in, one toy out" rule.  but the most important reason we feel for not going overboard on gifting is so our children will appreciate what they receive while learning about the specialness of this time and how it is more about love and kindness than the number of things to unwrap.

we've seen and experienced present overload before, have you?  a tornado of gifts with wrapping paper flying in every direction, ultimately turning the moment into an overwhelming mess where little to none is savored to appreciate.  when given too many things at once, we have noticed that our kids really don't have the energy to focus on what they have been given and therefore end up dissatisfied and overstimulated.  that is unfortunate for everyone and not the point of giving in the first place.  the times we've given just a few quality gifts for them to cherish the results have been gratifying because they were much more invested in playtime, and in turn, so much more appreciative!  so when it comes to holidays (and birthdays, too) we focus on getting our babes a few nice things and move onto spending time together, whether that be in the kitchen making cookies or cozed up on the couch watching a movie.

this year, santa will get several quality items following the "want/need/wear/read" philosophy and tell the grandparents to do the same.  one gift they want, one gift they need, one gift they can wear, and one gift they can read.  practical but special.  if that doesn't suit the givers, we offer suggestions of things to do with the kids by giving experiences in lieu of items.  giving experiences is a great solution when living in a small space or when wanting less stuff around.  this year my parents are giving our family tickets to see peppa pig down town as part of our christmas gift, a real treat for andrew and i as we will get to take both theo and stell on a date to see their first show.  in years past, grandparents have given ballet lessons, movie tickets, zoo passes, aquarium visits, and other fun things to do around the city.  we love suggesting these ideas as they create beautiful memories and keep the focus on togetherness.

how do you tell your loved ones you really don't want them giving your child an overflowing pile of stuff for christmas?  i say, just tell them outright, plain and simple.  if they chose to go their own route, know you will always have the final say about what your little ones get to keep and what is allowed to come through your front door and into your sacred space.  i feel that the gift is in the giving, not in the actual present itself, so once it's yours feel free to do with it as you please, even if that means it goes straight to the donation box or return pile.  and if nana and papa want to give your baby a gigantic sound machine, tell them to go for it!  but then to keep it at their place so your darling has something to play with when they visit.  problem solved and you don't need to have that contraption in your home.

what are we giving this year?  i have put together a little list of some of my favorite online shops for kids along with some of our favorite items from these lovely places.  it's worth mentioning, we either currently own these items and love them or are gifting them this year so i can speak to their quality.  if you've got little ones ages 0-4 here you are some great ideas if you still have some shopping to do!

brimful shop: wooden teether // colorful snail sorter // art print // blankie book // louise doll // playsilk // paci

darling clementine: baby lit book // paris book // bloomers // pom bonnet // hair clips

brookfarm general store : baking set // name train // farm animals

noble carriage: mouse doll //  bow tie // safari puzzle // high seas outfit

we love plan toys, too.  they make wonderful sustainable toys for kids and their website is categorized by age!  that makes it so easy when searching for thee perfect treasure.  theodore is getting this car garage from his nana and papa and stella loves this pastry dough set she got for a past birthday.  she loves playing with when i am baking in the kitchen.

for beautiful well-made clothing check out willaby + red creek handmade + mabo kids.  we have purchased several items from each of these companies and adore their heirloom quality.  kim, katie, and emily create pieces that you'll want to pass down and save forever.

and some other fun gifts ideas that are for sure making it under our tree this year: tool bench for theodore's want // spirograph, remember these? // bitty booties for alfie's wear // felt cowboy hat for theodore's wear // clock puzzle for stella's need (we need to practice numbers) // jenga for the family // mini drudgery tools for stella for stocking stuffer // classic jump rope for stella's want 

for other gifting inspiration check out my pinterest board on gifting to little ones.  read more on storing and managing and organizing and recycling toys here.  and if interested on tips about maintaining simplicity and joy in your home, head here.

homestead // storing & managing toys

toys! kids! utter chaos, amiright?!  those without kids give the old eye roll and tend to snicker when it comes to this topic, but reality with small children is as such.  it's pretty nuts, the toy situation, and it can get out of control fast if you let it.  with the arrival of little ones comes the constant trickling in of all their little things, and then a whole bunch of stuff on top that.  oy.  i just cleaned the couch out and found an entire outfit to dress a barbie and enough legos to build a rocket ship.  you see, i know a thing or two about all of this, and if you have a kid or two or five i am betting you do too.

i have found that it takes all of about a few hours for one's home to become a giant storage container for toys and games and all things kiddo.  if you're anything like us, your baby had more stuff than you before they were even born.  probably because a list said you needed it.  and you obliged.  i've been there.  thanks, target.  but now you've realized you really don't need a bottle warmer or five plastic music makers and forty stuffed animals just isn't really necessary.  just a few nice things will do and perhaps, just a few quality toys will even make playtime better.

and because christmas is coming up, let's talk about this.  so how does one maintain a simple, joyful, decluttered home and not have toys scattered in a mess everywhere, yet keep one's home a place that invites creativity and imagination and playtime?  this is a question i get a lot as it's something we take the time and work to tend to on a regular basis doing our best to prevent our home from becoming cluttered and thoroughly disorganized.  andrew and i have learned it takes a bit of strategy and discipline to manage this as to not become so overwhelmed with all the stuff.  hopefully this post will help break down how we do what we do when it comes to storing toys (and their other tiny things) in our home for our three children.  simple is calming and we like it that way.

to start, it's worth mentioning that we moved to our current home from a less than eight hundred square foot condo where storage was majorly lacking.  tiny closets and close to no built-ins resulted in us getting very creative with how we stored everything, toys included.  in addition to storing creativly, we also grew to be fairly ruthless when it came to what we even allowed up those steep three flights of stairs.  if we loved it, if it brought us joy (or sparked joy if you follow marie kondo), if we need to use it, up it came.  everything else got the boot, more or less.  this mindset helped us pair down to the essentials, and then some, when nesting and in keeping of our small tree house home.

we've used the same intentional approaches here in this home, despite it being much larger and more accommodating to a family of five.  in addition to this essentialist discipline, we approach gifting a bit differently than most as well.  instead of getting the kids dozens of toys for birthdays and holidays etc., we get them just a few thoughtful gifts along with some practical items, with a much larger emphasis on experiences and fun things to do out and about in this city, like ballet lessons or an art class or tickets to a play.  this makes for less stuff on those all to familiar toy-crazed occasions.  i am working on a post about gifting where i will address more of the specific on this, so stay tuned for that.

now let's chat about what to do after your kids have received their toys.  where do they go?  how does one thoughtfully store them?  and it is worth keeping organized?  i'll answer that one right off the bat for ya, YES.  it will make your home so much more calming and peaceful.  to address the other questions, i have one beautiful word for you: baskets.  i feel if you're going to be am item and will be looking at it everyday, why not make it pretty, right?  over the years i have accumulated quite the basket collection, each of them a bit different but all made from lovely natural fibers.  some are tightly woven, others a folding over of gorgeous textures.  we have them all over our home and in just about every room, each basket home to something most always kid related.  you see that basket on top of our hutch?  bet you wouldn't guess there are legos in there, but there are.  by using natural fibers, you are bringing something beautiful into your home, giving it warmth and charm, while also creating a pretty and practical storage solution.  i love baskets with handles for things such like wooden blocks so the kids can pull it to where they want to build.  we use smaller baskets for small toys and keep those up on a shelf, easy to reach when wanting to play but tucked away and off the floor.  for large toys, we like woven toy bins because of the magical fact it can be closed, giving the look of a polished room when the kids are not playing.

also important to note, we are careful not to keep too many baskets in one room, for this seems to present the issue of too many toys in one space, ultimately overwhelming the kids with what they can play with.  if you keep to just one or two baskets per room, it makes both playtime and clean up go much more smoothly.  so keeping all the toys in one space is not something that has worked for us.  ultimately, they all get dumped out on the floor and one gigantic mess results with little to no playing.  perhaps you've experienced differently, and hopefully so, but this is why we choose to spread them about our home instead.

what do we do for art/crafting supplies?  yes you guessed it, more baskets, but also clear mason jars too, for practicality's sake.  we store things to draw with in one place, construction paper in a big bin, and then random bits like pastels and paints and brushes in jars with lids.  we keep these things well hidden in our dining room storage so it's easily accessible since we do crafts just about everyday, but also out of sight because there's nothing like a disarray of art supplies to make a room look cluttered.  i like to keep these supplies within reach for stella so she can use them whenever she wants, but our of sight to keep with our simple aesthetic.  it works for us.  those doors at the bottom of our hutch is where we keep all of these things.

and then there's the old recycling toys trick, and boy this is a good one.  here's my proposal to you, take all of your kids toys and bring them into one room, say a large space like your living room.  dump all of them out onto the floor, taking half of that large pile and donating them to a good home.  you heard me correctly, get rid of half.  just be ruthless and edit that pile.  you can do it, i believe in you.  i recommend not doing this when your kids are around or they will freak out when they see you getting rid of their things, even if they have not paid attention to those specific toys in years.  i speak from experience, stella was not a happy camper when she saw me doing this as she said, "stop mom, i am freaking out." so i just waited until she was asleep, and you know what?  she did not even bat an eye at all the toys that were missing.  you should know just by being around your babes what they love and play with, so the sorting should go fairly fast.

after getting rid of half of your preexisting toy pile, cut that smaller pile you have labeled as "the keepers" in half as well.  put those carefully selected items in a storage bin down in the basement or somewhere where your little ones will not find it.  a few times a year you can do a swap and recycle the toys from the storage bin with those upstairs.  it's like christmas in july!  or whenever you decide to do it.  the kids love this and are so much more engaged with their toys as opposed to having a hundred choices surrounding them, ultimately leaving them dissatisfied and "bored".  if you follow this trick, you'll end up having one fourth of your existing child's toys on display around your home, helping tremendously in terms of living more simply and mindfully with regard to your child's toys.

where do i find my baskets and storage bins?

thrift stores
loom goods
the container store 
home goods
brookfarm general store (all their storage is dreamy!)

okay, that was a lot about toys and organizing.  what other questions do you have?  happy organizing!

recipe // cauliflower sheperd's pie

what a pleasant few weeks this has been.  after about a month or so of hosting we have had a solid string of days just to ourselves to rest and nest and really savor autumn.  we badly needed a reprieve from all things social and just time as a family to be together, doing things that ground us and makes thing flow smoothly, like family suppers and books before bedtime.  with all this time on my hands, i've been cooking up a storm and tried my hand at some new recipes.  during sunday meal planning awhile back i came across a recipe for shepherd's pie and it looked so tasty.  since we are trying to eat a little healthier, i decided to use gruyere cauliflower puree in lieu of mashed potatoes and it was a worthy substitution.  everyone licked their plates and i have since added this to my arsenal of healthy go-to meals.  one could easily make this vegetarian by substituting the meat for lentils or other legumes, which i think would turn out really well.

and on a side note, we had been having a difficult time getting theodore to sit still during meals and to want to eat everyone else was having for supper.  unlike stella, he became very attached to his bottle after i stopped nursing him, thereby making meal time sometimes stressful.  we decided to push through and not make him a separate meal, although sometimes that seemed like the far better option when we were at our wits end and pleading with him to fill his belly with something other than milk.  but the last three or so weeks have proven that our hard work is paying off.  he has been sitting with us for supper like he always has, but this time is trying everything on his plate, requesting more, and even handing me his dirty dishes at the sink when he's done.  even stella will now say, "look mama, he's eating everything now like me!" what helped?  i think a combination of things.  sneaking veggies in foods he lives, having him help stella and i when preparing our meals by doing simple things like stirring and throwing scraps in the compost, but mostly, pure diligence.  in the past he would pick at his food and requested his "ba ba" almost incessantly.  so we kept snacking to a minimum and tried to make supper fairly consistent by eating at the table roughly at the same time each evening as to build it into our routine.  our theodore now joins in and it is really wonderful.  for those who are struggling with picky eaters, keep on keepin' on!  stay consistent!  you got this! onto the recipe which, by the way, makes around four portions.  just double it if serving to a larger crowd.

for the savory pie filling: 

1 lb ground lamb or ground lamb
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
five to six large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup portabello mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup english peas
1/2 cup sweet corn 
1/2 cup red wine, i used syrah and had myself a glass 
1-2 tbsp tomato paste 
palmful of fresh thyme, rosemary, and parsley chopped
olive oil
season with salt and pepper each layer as you go  

cauliflower topping: 

1/2 head of cauliflower 
1 clove garlic, minced 
1/4 cup heavy cream 
1 cup gruyere cheese
2 tbsp butter
pinch of sea salt and pepper
small palmful of parsley to top

to prepare the pie filling, saute the onions, carrots, mushrooms and garlic in olive oil until soft and caramelized, starting with the onions and ending with the garlic. make sure to season with salt and pepper as you go.  when veggies are done, deglaze your pot with red wine and add tomato paste, cooking for a few more minutes to cook off the alcohol.  off the burner and add peas and corn, and transfer filling to a big bowl and mixing well.  add your grounded meat and brown in the same pot you used to cook your veggies.  you can do this step first, just make sure to drain the oil and discard before proceeding.  chop and add your fresh herbs to the meat once it is done browning and cook it for a few seconds, releasing the aromatics.  mix the meat and vegetables together and put into a baking dish.   preheat the oven to 375.

to make the cauliflower topping, start by chopping up the florets and boiling them until tender.  when done, strain them and add everything along with the cauliflower into a food processor.  pulse until smooth.  you can always improvise here and add any cheese of your choice.  we happened to have gruyere on hand so i threw in a cupful of that.  i think parmesan would fair nicely.  smooth the puree over your meat and vegetable mixture in your baking dish, top with additional cheese and parsley.  bake at 375 until the cheese melts, so for about twenty or thirty minutes.  you can broil the top to make the cheese extra yummy if you have a broiler on your oven.  i recommend doing so because burnt cheese, oh yes.

and as promised, crock pot meals post coming up.  i've got some goodies to share.

here are a few other meals we've been loving:

jamie oliver's chicken in milk
ina's minestrone soup 
perfect pork chop
just a taste falafel with tahini sauce 

homestead // my cleaning routine

it's an overcast and somewhat rainy day here in the midwest and it's clear that we are in a seasonal transition.  summer has left its mark and boy was it a good one, full of newborn snuggles and family adventures.  as sweet as that time was, we are eager for cooler temperatures, for morning walks amongst the crunchy autumn leaves, stews for supper, and more sturdy routine when it comes to how we structure our days.  i am also ready to spend more time sharing here too in this journal of mine.

stella will be starting preschool next week (!) and so i have been spending our most recent days figuring out what our new rhythm will look like here at home.  one way i am able to clear my mind and really reflect is to have a clean and tidy space.  since we have been in our home for one year now, i have been able to really find a proper place for everything, cleaning tools being no exception.  because scrubbing and tidying and organizing is part and parcel of a stay at home mama's job, i have made it a point to be intentional in finding joy in those tasks.  such things like beautiful but practical tools with easy accessibility help make my time cleaning more enjoyable.  with alfie wrapped up and snug on my chest, and the older two running about the yard or watching an episode of peter rabbit, i'll start my cleaning routine by making something in the crock pot for supper.  tonight we are having thai curry chicken over coconut rice, an easy favorite.  i like crock pot meals on days when i am giving everything a good scrub because the clean up after we eat is nothing more than a few plates and some silverware.  the mess of meal-making is taken care of throughout the day as our supper cooks in one little pot.  no mess and time to do other things!  that makes me happy.  after having prepared our supper, i'll throw on some music, usually david gray or louie armstrong, and diffuse oils around our home to help cleanse the air.  today i did a mixture of thieves, nutmeg, and orange oil.  not only does it smell like fall in our home, but it gets rid of pesky germs, too.  a real win-win.

after having set the stage for my cleaning spree, i'll start with the dishes, do all surface areas, and sweep and mop the floorboards.  i'll put a couple of drops of lemon oil on a warm wet rag and scrub everything down, no counter top being left unscrubbed.  sometimes i'll substitute thieves oil for this, it just depends on my mood.  lemon helps cut the grease so i tend to use that more often in the kitchen. when moping the floors, i'll add a few drops of tea tree oil to the mop rag and several drops of orange to make them shine and smell lovely.  at the end of my cleaning routine, i'll soak my brushes in a mixture of vinegar, water, and essential oils (today i used rosemary) to keep them fresh and clean.

during this time i'll do a load or two of laundry, adding purification oil to the wash and spraying lavender mist on clothes when they've dried.  now that we have three little ones, laundry is a daily task, so keeping up with that is a must for my mental clarity.  aiming for one load a day has been the trick to keeping things manageable around here.  and then there's the bathrooms, my least favorite. i'll do these one a week, often times neglecting the shower and leaving that for a twice a month job.  i should probably scrub the tiles in there more often, but i don't.  on the days that i do get to those tiles, i'll also wash our sheets and top layers of bedding.  since most of it is white i am able to put it all together using a non-bleach alternative to get them looking really white.  the laundress makes a good one.  if it is sunny on days that i get to this chore, i'll line dry our linens.  if not, a good tumble in the dryer is good, too.

where my cleaning supplies & tools are from:

- essential oils // young living
- wood shaker peg rack // the container store
- large broom // home goods
- french market bag to house rags // gifted back in college
- blue rag // schoolhouse electric
- black dust pan // an amish store in iowa, a gift from my mom
- ivory dust pan // world market
- duster // ikea
- laundry brush // the laundress
- dish scrub brushes // season and square, a store here in kansas city

so there you have it.  it's moments spent doing such cleaning tasks around our home that help recharge me as a mom.  since we live pretty simply and have eliminated clutter when we moved here, it takes about an hour, sometimes two, to really clean it.  keeping up with this routine several times a week also helps keep that time to a minimum, rather than forgoing cleaning for many days and having to tackle one big mess, taking hours away from our day.  i have found that this all works well for us.  it gives me time to clear my head and also make our home a place we truly enjoy.

homestead // tips on maintaining simplicity and joy at home

you guys, it's spring!  how beautiful to wake up with the chirping of the birds and cool air drifting in through the windows.  it's such a welcomed reprieve from those harsh winter months that kept us locked in and cooped up.  i so cherish this time of year for it lends itself quite well renewal and growth.  in fact, everywhere i look there's a tulip getting ready to sprout or a tree starting to turn the palest shade of green.  i truly love it.

as the weather here in the midwest turns to the early chapters of spring, i am called to reflection in areas in my life that i want to change or improve upon, whether that be regarding our home, how the little ones and myself spend our days, in my faith and relationship with god, in my marriage (we need more date nights!), or even in my friendships and in dealing with expectations.  i do my best to give all of it good looking over and sorting through because this practice of reflecting gives me peace of mind and brings about a calmer, happier me.  it's one of the main reasons i look forward to this season.

when spring rolls around i am always inspired and driven to get back to the basics.  the winter months and past holidays have made for that never-ending accumulation of stuff whereupon we pile up on things and dust and dirt and rubbish here at home.  i think this rings true for everyone, because in the coldest of cold, it is comforting to hunker down near a crackling fire and barricade ourselves with material items.  clutter becomes easier and we fall into a pattern of collecting.  ...presents from christmas, layers upon layers of clothing to keep warm, pots and pans for stews and breads--it is all a part of living in a colder climate and i think we let things in to surround us, to warm us, and keeping our attention away from the harsh winds and inability to really enjoy the chilly outdoors.  but now as the shiny new year is really starting to reveal itself, those things are no longer needed and we must make way for new season.

just as the landscape changes, so too should the inside of our homes.  as march fades into april it is best to throw on some uplifting music, get into your stretchy pants, and redefine your space, making it one that feels as though it reflects you and your family.  i feel it's important to create an environment that helps you breathe better.  one that you look forward to coming home to, so when you walk through your front door with arms full of groceries and babes and diaper bags you are greeted with a sense of balance and calm.

simply put, your home should make you feel joy.  it should recharge you and excite you and speak to you.  believe it or not it is possible to do so, even if your kiddos are prone to rubbing mac'n cheese on your white cabinets during lunch time.  there is a way to pare down to the essentials, making your place of dwelling not only functional, but beautiful and cheery.  it is during these months of spring that our family focuses on simplicity, deep cleaning, and getting back to the basics in this sweet little place we call home.  but before i get into some of the helpful tips we use daily to keep our home minimal and clutter free, let me go into why we do so.  i think this part of the story is oftentimes neglected in home posts for whatever reason.

alas, andrew and i have been together since we were freshmen in high school and since we've known each other we've both struggled with anxiety.  yes yes, high school as in all the way back to braces and awkward hair cuts and friday night football games.  we essentially grew up together which is so beautiful to me, because in doing so we've gotten to know the deepest parts of one another in a relationship that has gone through many stages of life, from being babies ourselves to having ones of our own.  in getting to know what makes for the best versions of ourselves and in how to cope with our different forms of anxiety, we've come to realize that simplicity helps tremendously.

we both struggle with a wild roller coaster of unease labeled as anxiety, and have found that our mood is very much reflective of our environment.  in college we had our ups and downs with this emotional struggle, trying various forms of medicine and therapy, only to find that taking a pill was a small part of the equation for us.  we found when learning how to live together during our last year of college that how we keep our home is vital to our emotional well being.  the space around us and how we tended to it was a central part of our happiness and ability to seek harmony within our sometimes frazzled state of mind.  this was not an overnight fix, nor are we currently in a place that has let us stop working on ourselves and our emotional well being.  learning about what works best for us as a team was/is a gradual process and one that we still practice daily.

together, we work hard, yes it's work, to maintain simplicity as a theme for our lives in a culture that deems excess as the answer to happiness.  over the past decade we've been able to find a rhythm that bodes well for us, although admittedly, the addition of little ones to our family has made practicing simplicity a more of a challenge.  nevertheless, we continue to place a strong importance on this type of minimal of living while sharing our home with our (soon to be three) sweet little humans.  having a space that is clean and simple and bright, yet cozy and homey is more than just aesthetically pleasing for the both of us.  and it certainly does not mean that we do not make messes or get dirty or forgo things that call for clean up.  that is far from the case!  we just have a way of tidying and keeping things in order that works for our family.

this post is about tending to a simpler style at home while raising a family, for how we keep our home is essential in helping ourselves find and maintain a sense of joy.  therefore, we like our windows open without drapery and our walls painted white.  we gravitate towards comfy neutrals with pops of color and baskets for collecting and storing.  we just feel better when our home is like this, because that sense of emotional happiness spills over into everything else we do.  it's what works for us, and perhaps just might be of inspiration to you.

some tips on how we maintain simplicity & joy at home:

- have a donation box for things you find yourself not using any longer.  a laundry basket with handles is a good catch all so you can easily lift it to the car.  we have our donation box in the basement and i take things to drop off once a month or so.  sometimes, it is more frequently depending on if we are de-cluttering closets.  if we are not using it or have grown out of it, in the box it goes and i don't give it a second thought.

- make your bed every single morning.  after i've tucked the sheets into our bed frame, i feel like our day has started.  sure, the kids will find their way onto it at some point during the day to have a  good jump or cuddle, but the act of making it just helps my mind get ready for the day.

- do the dishes before you go to bed.  waking up to a clean kitchen is everything to me.  it sets the tone that morning and really helps me want to keep things tidy.  it is also rather nice to wake up to clean dishes as opposed to ones with dried food.  no one wants to clean that first thing.

- get baskets to help you organize.  put toys and blankets and crayons in them.  not together, but you get the idea.  i get most of mine at the thrift store or home goods.  you can go the route of pottery barn, but a basket is a basket.  any old woven thing will do.  by getting storage that is beautiful, it will also add to the aesthetic of your home.  keep in mind that storage does not have to be ugly to be functional.

- diffuse an oil or light a candle to make your space smell lovely.

- designate one place for mail and go through it immediately upon retrieval.  do not make the mistake of shoving mail in different drawers or on random counter tops after you get it, for it will just sit there and pile up before you know it.  when i get the mail, i look through it right away.  one pile is made for recycling, the other is where important things go, such as bills, invitations, and documents.  we designated one drawer for this and go through that regularly if it starts looking full.  this whole process takes one minute to sort through and it's done.

- have a day every month or so where you, with help from your kids if you can, add to your charity box.  fill it with toys that are no longer being used, old puzzles, and extra art supplies.  take it a local preschool or church with your little ones and practice giving together.  this is a beautiful lesson you can teach your little ones while managing the toy situation in your home.

- pick a one day a week to do your deeper cleaning.  i tend to do this on mondays but any day will do.

- do not get into the habit of collecting more just because you have more space.  when we bought this home it gave us more than double the square footage of our last place.  we vowed to not fill it up with furniture just because we now have the room.

- put a laundry basket in each room.  this has helped me so much by keeping dirty clothing in one place and not strewn about all over the room.  i've taught stella to put her dirty clothes in her basket and each night when we change theo, his dirty clothing go into his.  when i need to do laundry, i bring up my big bag from the basement, collect dirty clothing and towels, and head back down only having had made one trip.  this system works well for me.

- store kitchen appliances out of sight.  unless you use it every single day, it really does not need to be on your counter.  and for that matter, if you have not used it in a year, donate it.  chances are you will not be needing it if an entire year has gone by without needing it.

- keep your flat surfaces clear.  okay, add a tiny succulent or plant and call it good.  just because you have a giant flat surface to work with, say your kitchen butcher block, does not mean you need to display a hundred things on it.  give your things a home and practice restraint in showcasing everything.

- furthermore, use plants as decor.  not only do they liven up a space but they help the air quality.

- designate a clear, stackable box for kiddo art you want to hang onto.  this one is hard for me, given that i want to keep it all.  every now and then after something has been hung on our fridge or wall, i will open the box and collect it.  other times, it will be recycled.  with the amount of art projects we do a week there is simply no way to keep it all.  this process helps us stay organized while having on to our favorite pieces.  you could go the length of creating a digital copy and storing it on your hard drive, but i am just not that technical nor do i want the actual piece of art thrown out.

- go take ten things out of your closet right now and put them in your donation box.  we all have probably twenty things we should get rid of at this very moment in our closets, but ten is a good start. i think i am going to do this after i hit publish.

- have a small bowl near the entry for keys and loose change somewhere by your front door.  this will eliminate you searching everyday for them and give you a place to collect coins should you have them in your pockets when you get back from running errands.  if this bowl is small, it will not tempt you to store other things in it.  large bins become catch-alls for trash, receipts, and random bits that end up overtaking the whole idea of simplifying in the first place.

- likewise, have a small bin for seasonal shoes.  keep the rest in closets or tucked away in a seasonal bin in storage.  by having one place to collect shoes when you come in, it will prevent the clutter at the front door situation, which is never calming or pretty.

- for those who are thrifty, just because something is cheap, does not mean you need it or should buy it.  i love the target dollar section as much as the next gal, but be careful.  those trinkets will clutter up your home in a hurry.

- have kids or husbands pick up toys each night.  yes, husbands too because we all know how much they love playing with legos.  not only does this keep things tidy, but it teaches the little ones responsibility.  i like to have a mid-day clean up with the kids before their afternoon naps so things are in place before i start to make dinner as well.  baskets make this so easy because all of the toys go into one place.  we try to end our evening with toys in their baskets and puzzles put away, making a fresh and calming space to walk into early in the morning.

- don't put coats and purses on the dining room table.  hang them up!  again, everything should have a home.

- keep a drawer for cords (ours is in the kitchen) and make sure to label them.  i cannot tell you how many times andrew has asked my where the phone charger is, because i am the one always moving it around.  but since we've made a drawer for chargers and things it has helped us both out when we need to grab something.

- keep in mind when decorating, less is best.  strive to keep things simple and easy.  there is no need to keep old magazines around or blankets you haven't used in ages.  keep things basic and your home will appear cleaner too, even if you haven't actually cleaned in say, a of couple weeks.

i hope you guys found these tips to be useful, and as always if you have a question i'll do my best to help you out.  happy spring!

homestead // shared nursery + master bedroom tour

it's hard to believe that in just a few short months i'll be over there in that cozy little nook of our bedroom, nursing and cuddling our new baby.  sounds of tiny squeaks and hiccups and coos will fill the air, making the sweetest song.  we are so excited to share our bedroom again with our littlest come late spring and throughout the warm summer months.  in fact, it is one of the things we love talking about before bedtime together.  andrew will say to my belly, "over there you will get to sleep, right next to mommy and daddy" in the softest tone as he talks to and feels baby kick at night.  because we are planning to nurse this baby too, it works well to have him or her close by.  i anticipate falling asleep in that old brown chair most evenings, my feet propped up on soft sheepskin.  i remember those nights, or early mornings rather, when it feels like the rest of the world is asleep except for myself and our hungry piglet snorting away ready for mama's milk.  nothing in the world can compare to that precious alone time and i seriously crave it right now.  what beautiful moments to look forward to!  and we may even stretch his or her stay with us into autumn as the leaves start turning, because sharing a room with an itty bub is pretty much heaven.

furniture:

our bed // cb2
tv console // cb2
small baby crib // family heirloom, it was andrew's great grandma's!
brown chair // hand me down
dresser // my mama's old one growing up
stacked natural fiber ottomans // ikea
moses basket // craigslist

linens:

grey ruffle bedding // pottery barn
organic white sheets // pottery barn
small floral pillow cases // target
mint & ivory knit baby blanket // handmade by my mother in law
small blue floral crib sheet (it's a blanket tucked in) // sture & folke

decor:

hexagon wall shelves // axel & co. a local kansas city company
bronze wall reading lights // urban outfitters
white arch light // target
sun hat // h&m
sheepskins // ikea
ivory herringbone throw on chair // target
stuffed plush lamb // mouin roty
hanging pottery vase above bed // the object enthusiast a midwest company
white pillow in chair // ikea
baskets // thrifted & gifted & collected along the way
white rug under crib // thrifted
basket for fig tree // ikea
ivory table lamp // target
vase & bowl on dresser // anthropologie
sweet baby things // coming soon in future post...

other:

wall color // ski slope by sherwin williams

let me know if there is something here i have forgotten to mention, i will get you that resource!