Oops!

I'm sorry for the 3 random posts that went up today! Obviously, none of them were ready to go. I will be busy packing and getting ready to move into our new house on Monday so next week should look a bit like last week (without the accidental postings, hopefully!).

I will share a random photo of my little dragon girl with you. I went to a consignment sale today and got lots of new clothes for Cora's baby brother (due to come in November). Cora has named him Foo Foo. No one is really sure why. It might have something to do with food. I also picked up Cora's Halloween costume in advance. When I grabbed it I assumed it was a dinosaur. It turns out it is a dragon. Cora is now calling herself "Dragon Girl." Can I convince anyone that it is a dinosaur?

Second Floor Plans, Part 4: The Dining Room, Part 1

I apologize for slowing down so much in blog city. One day I will get back to some serious blog writing. Until then, please do your best to enjoy the weekly plans of house thoughts that I am providing you with.

Today, let's talk a little about the dining room, shall we? 

As you might imagine, I have had A LOT of thoughts about the dining room. At first, I thought maybe we should close off the bar counter that looks into the kitchen, move a closet door, add a couple of walls and give ourselves a 4th bedroom. Scott thought that idea was insane. I have to say that I have not completely ruled it out, but if we decide that we need another bedroom I certainly know where to find it.

Another idea that I contemplated was taking the "dining" out of dining room and making it a play room. Scott also thinks that is insane. We have enough room in our living room to put a dining table. But for now, this plan is also off the table (did you catch that little pun?... everyone knows that the secret to a good pun is pointing it out!).

So, as of now, the plan is to buy or build a round table and throw that bad boy where it belongs... the dining room.

I have so much to share with  you, but I am a sleepy lady and somehow this post is already getting a little long. So, how about I just share a few nice dining table photos and we call it quits?

If we buy, I am thinking:

Ikea Docksta

or Ikea Liatorp

We could try to DIY a farmhouse-looking round table like they did on Imperfectly Polished:

Here are a few good looking Ikea tables in real-life.

Today was the walk-through of our new house. It is lovely!!

Here is a photo of Cora and I checking out the dining room.

I have spent a lot of time looking into the possibility of a built-in bench/ banquette, but we will save that for another day.

Words Of Wisdom, Honest Toddler Style. Take 11

Words Of Wisdom, Honest Toddler Style. Take 11

I'm a little late with my Honest Toddler time again. For those of you who enjoy it, please do so now. For those of you who don't, it would make you a better person if you would just learn to love it.

Honest Toddler tweets hilarious one liners multiples time per day. I read. I giggle. And then I pick out my favorites from the past month for you to enjoy.

Here are my favorite 13 Honest Toddler Tweets from 6-4-13 to 7-3-13:

1. Like I’m the first person to confuse a spider web for cotton candy. Calm down.
2. If you know a discreet plumber who specializes in not jumping to conclusions please get me in contact.
3. In trouble because socks aren’t seaworthy. In unrelated news, we might get a new toilet. :)
4. Be paleo if you want but please don’t force this lifestyle on your small children who need the vitamins found only in hotdog buns.
5. “No kicking. No hitting. No throwing.” Guess my muscles are just for decoration.
6. Wish triscuits would focus less on that basket weave design and more on not tasting like actual basket.
7. “Can’t nobody take my pride. Can’t nobody put me down. Oh no, I got to keep on moving.” - Diddy, age 2, naptime
8. Siri is basically a Teddy Ruxpin for adults. Why can’t you make human friends?
9. Ok so it turns out taking candy from a baby is really easy but outrunning its mom is not.
10. In unrelated news, did you know you can get time-out at the park?
11. “Sit and think about what you did.” I am. Next time I'm going to run faster. Maybe weave through some shrubs I don't know.
12. FYI- It's not hide & seek if your toddlers waits in a closet while you read TMZ on your phone what's wrong with you.
13. I want to address these time out rumors publicly before they hit the North Pole. Again, I am not nor have I been in time out today.

Time For My All-Time Favorite HT Tweets!

• Parent Tip: Love isn’t just a word. It’s also the willingness to fix someone a small snack while making dinner.
  
• Good call on naming them “playpens” because “tarp jail” probably wouldn’t have taken off.
• Heard a noise. Was told “it’s just the house.” So is it enchanted or haunted I need to know.

• Toddler Tip: The only thing cats love more than hiding spots is having someone to share them with. :)

• Anthropologie, you may have changed your name but I know a Salvation Army when I see one.

• Tonight's bedtime story was about three pigs struggling with repeat home invasions. Thanks for the new fear.

• Adults use Instagram because the best way to enjoy a moment is to make it look like it happened hundreds of years ago.

• Most toddler don't even want much. Maybe a kiss, 3 hugs, 4-5 sips of water, quick tale of adventure and maybe a pancake.

• Toddler Tip: Did someone you love say "no" to you? They're confused. To help clear their head ask again times infinity.

• Don't call someone a blessing and then try to fit their entire bedtime routine in a single commercial break.

• Toddler Tip: If they haven't put on people clothes by noon, you're not going to the park today.

• Sleeping Dog, Sleeping Tiger, Train That Does Not Move <-- These are not games. Your adult is trying to nap on the clock.

• And Big Bird...it's not a nest if it sits on an alley floor. We call that a driftwood pile. Your life is in shambles.

• Toddler Tip: 3AM is as good a time as any to call a meeting about your sock situation.

• It was cats who taught toddlers to lightly cover pee/poo accidents before fleeing the scene. Thank you.

• Toddler Tip: When a cat runs, it's not because he doesn't want to play. He just wants to show you something.

• Why are they mad when I break something. I'm not the one who took all those prenatal vitamins resulting in my incredible strength."

• I don't need you in here with me." What if I told you I prepared a song?

• Fact: Most babysitters just want access to your gold.

• Ear infection. They gave me medicine in my mouth but so far nothing in my actual ear. Where did these people go to school. Hogwarts?

• Toddler in the next room is singing Wheels On The Bus like we're all on holiday. Quiet, fool. Stay alert.

• Asked for a second bedtime story. You would have thought I requested launch codes. Nevermind.

• Is it too much to ask to be held from 4:30-7PM? I'm like 28 pounds :(

• Showed grandpa my top karate moves. He was too proud to speak. Just shook his head and prayed for my safety.

• Going home. Grandpa said to avoid doing martial arts in public because the world isn't ready. I understand. #BestDay

• Just so you know when you come in to give goodnight kisses smelling like Cheetos it's like a slap in the face.

• Alarm clocks. Adults do you mean to tell me that without a machine you would not wake up in the morning? Your body is in shambles.

• Yes, I am a highly skilled Level 10 (out of 10) karate master but it doesn't mean I can walk from the car to grocery store.

• Love means being happy to see someone no matter what time it is even if that person has peed through all their clothes.

• In trouble for unrolling 10 or 12 toilet paper rolls. I did it for science not me but whatever.

• It's amazing how some people think they're in charge of deciding who has to wear pants and when.

• "Stop crying." Oh ok let me find the button that TURNS OFF MY FEELINGS.

• I need a body double who is available for meal times and the afternoon shift. I can pay in tales of adventure.

• How much you think a robot that looks exactly like you and loves naps and salad would cost?

• I know how you make tea. Just shave a pencil into a little bag. Done. Give me my millions.

• Hey Santa when you get a chance let me know what your favorite kind of cookie is. Always thinking about u. :)

• Naptime. Daddy just tried to put me in my bed and walk away. LOL. Skipped like 28 steps! Start over. From the top.

• If you're wondering, we had money for a $3 magazine about celebrities but not enough for my ice-cream so there's that

• Toddler Tip: If you don't have a spoon, you can also enjoy yogurt with a toothbrush or mobile phone.

• Just tried baking soda. WHY DO WE OWN POISON

• Trick or Treaters skip my house unless you want an O'Henry wrapper.

• I know for a fact that our seasonings were purchased at a Ross Dress For Less and are over 100 years old.

• Toddler Tip: Most parents want your company in the shower. They're just too shy to ask.

• Daddy didn't ask me to join his shower fully clothed but I'm good at anticipating people's needs.

• Don't bother asking if we bought ice cream because the answer will break your heart. 

• Man at the store asked mama if I could have a balloon. She doesn't speak for me. I'll take six.

• Toddler Tip: If you put 8 or 9 batteries in a toilet it will not become a robot. Don't ask how I know just listen.

• Don't try to cancel a game of Under the Blanket just because your toddler gently farts a few times. PLAY THROUGH.

• Was on the phone trying to order pizza for 25 minutes. Turns out I was talking into a scrunchie. :(

• Can you stop looking at the clock? My bedtime will come when it comes. Rude. 

• Skipped my nap today. Exhausted. Will go right to bed. LOL. NOT. FEEL LIKE ADRENALINE & RED BULL ARE PUMPING THROUGH MY BABY VEINS. 

• Woke up from my nap happy and refreshed! Just kidding I hate everything and will need to be held until bedtime. 

• The awkward moment when mommy hugs you way too tight for way too long and whispers something creepy like "Don't grow." Get a grip. 

• Jumped off the kitchen table. Turns out believing you can fly isn't enough. Thanks for the lies R Kelly. 

• Mommy ran into a friend on the street. "I've been meaning to call you!" Stop lying. You've been meaning to buy M&Ms. 

In case you need more Honest Toddler in your life:

• 9-17-12 and before
• 9-18-12 to 10-1-12
• 10-2-12 to 11-2-12
• 11-3-12 to 12-2-12
• 12-2-12 to 1-2-13
• 1-3-13 to 2-3-13
• 2-3-13 to 3-3-13
• 3-3-13 to 4-3-13
  
• 4-4-13 to 5-3-13
• 5-4-13 to 6-3-13

Second Floor Plans, Part 3: The Under-The-Stairs Kiddie Cubby Hole

Welcome back to another edition of floor plans and ideas for the new house!

Do you all remember a few months ago I posted a photo of one of my favorite toys when I was little? It was a Fisher-Price staircase from a dollhouse with a little cubby hole underneath. Well, that cubby hole is about to become real life fun for my sweet little baby-toddler!

FYI, that was not my first post about secret cubby holes. I also wrote this one about cool hidden places in houses. I love it!

I knew I wanted to turn the storage space under the stairs into a little area for Cora. It was hard to convince Scott that this was a good idea because storage space is precious at our new house. I think that after he saw how much Cora loved her own little door and the Cora-sized space behind it he knew it was the thing to do.

I plan to put her kitchen in there along with plenty of shelves for toys and books. If there is room I would love to put a little reading nook in there.

Here are some neat under the stair reading nooks that I've found.

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Here are some cool stair-cubby-hole-fronts. I will definitely not get this fancy, but I think they are pretty cool.

There is a slight possibility of one day adding a window to the cubby hole, but I am doubtful.

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Here are a couple more inspiration pictures:

I'm pretty sure this one is under the stairs. Wherever it lies it is an awesomely awesome combination of playroom and storage!

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Yay for pretty storage!

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Would you like to know something that makes me happier than anyone could ever understand? I told the builder my plans to open up the shallow bit of storage space that they always close up and he said he would do it himself! So happy! His plans were better. He will make it look better and I don't have to do it myself. Yay! I hate the idea of all that wasted storage space mocking me behind the wall. There are so many things that I could hide back there!

This photo may not mean much to you now, but it is of the extra space that the builder opened up for me!

I also added extra outlet in cubby hole so we can put a little lamp in there... maybe even some cute strings of lights.

In case you want to use that fantastic extra under the stairs storage space for something else, here are a few other fabulous ideas:

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Another cool desk possibility:

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I hope you all have a happy happy Monday! I hope to be back at least once more this week with some fascinating things for you!

Second Floor Plans, Part 2: The Kitchen

Hey heyyyyyyyyyy! I am here! 2 posts this week. How about that?!?!!

It is time to explore the 2nd floor again!

On Monday, we took a look at the kitchen. And, today, we are going to take a look at... the kitchen!

A few months ago, I wrote a post about organizing tips in the kitchen. In that post, I included gorgeous pantries, secret storage behind doors, tidy spice collections, and some neat tips to keep your cabinets organized. You can go ahead and assume that one day, all of those beautifully organized bits and pieces will be a part of my kitchen. The year may be 2030 when that happens, but it is going to happen. Until, I show you all that snazziness that is my 2030 kitchen, I thought I would show you some of my realistic ideas and expectations.

Our kitchen comes with 2 of those little flip-out drawers under the sink! Hello hello hidden sponges and scrubby brushes. Also, hello to a possibly not-so-easy place to clean.

Our kitchen pantry comes with pretty deep shelves. And, you had better believe that I am going to use every inch. The pantry comes with wire shelves and I am going to line those bad boys up nicely with some foam board and pretty contact paper, much like these 2 bloggerinos did:

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The lining project is one that I am ready to get started on now, before we move in. But those smarty pants builders locked the door of our soon-to-be home and I can't get in to measure.

We had an electrical outlet put in our pantry for things like dustbusters. We might even use it for apliances that we use somewhat often but aren't too messy and that we don't want out on the counter.

I bought two of these pendant lights from Home Depot on a super sale months ago. I plan to spray paint them... not sure of the color yet. And, we will have them hung or try ourselves eventually.

I also added an extra outlet at the bar top because, in our last house, that was our major computering spot. The exciting talk about bar stools will come in the dining room post(s).

Here are some of the photos from my kitchen organization post that I hope to use in our new house before the year 2030:

I installed one of these shelf dividers in our last house and loved it!

The cabinet that will be above our fridge has about a foot of wasted space behind it. There is a chance that I may open up the back of the cabinet and let long storage hang over. Is anyone following me?

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This is such a good idea for wasted space. And, I love that with this you get to get rid of messy boxes are probably practically empty!

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Who doesn't love this idea?

Baskets on top of cabinets. I think it looks great! And, yay for extra storage! 

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A magnetic message board inside the cabinet door! wooooooo hooo! This could help the constant stream of little sheets of scrap paper that I have floating around my house. 

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No more banging pot lids and pans all over the place! 

I am going to bin-it-up in my lazy susan, much like this bin-loving-fool did:

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The kitchen drawers are super deep. I am not complaining, but what do I do with all the space behind the utensil holder? I can't waste a millimeter of storage space in this house. That might be a good place for the corn holders that get used once every 3 years.

One more thing before we wrap up the kitchen!

I bought this fancy tilt-out hamper on sale from Home Decorator's Collection. I plan to use it as a trash can. If it is too small then it becomes a hamper in the hallway upstairs.

Well, there she is! The kitchen chapter is closed for now. I hope to see you back here soon for some more of my brain dumps.

Second Floor Plans, Part 1: The Kitchen

I can't believe that I finally finished my ideas for the first floor last week. It seemed like I might drag that on for the rest of my blog life.

As usual, I would like to apologize for the lack of posts recently. We are still not really into a routine yet and Cora has decided to show off her unsleeping skills to the maximum. (Shhhh everyone knows that "unsleeping skills" is a real term). So, these days, if I can get one post out per week I am happy. The good news is that I have lots and lots and lots of ideas for future posts. As soon as the time presents itself for me to write them we all will be sitting pretty in a blog-reading-daze.

Back to the show... The Second Floor! I am not going to even guess at how many posts it is going to take me to finish my ideas for the second floor.

Here is the floor plan for floor numero dos:

Even though this is not the most logical place to start, let's begin our floor plan party in the kitchen because that seems the easiest to me.

The layout is a lot smaller than we are used to and we will definitely miss having 2 sinks and lots of counter space for Scott to cook on, but we think it should still work really well for us.

One reason that I wanted to start in the kitchen is because it is already set. I don't have to decide the layout or pick out any other immediate options. I have so many different ideas and options for the living room and dining room that we will wait and see how we use the space before we buy furniture or do much decorating. What I do know is that we spend A LOT of time in the kitchen and in the rooms closest to it. Scott cooks all the time and Cora and I like to be near that cool dude so the kitchen area becomes our gathering area

In our old house, we moved our kitchen table to gain a play area for chair and a spot for a comfy chair that was right across the bar-top from the main cooking stage.

Here are a few really old photos of Cora playing in the kitchen play area:

In this house, we haven't figured out if our main kitchen-groupie hang-out area will be in the dining room or living room.

Here is what I do know about the kitchen:
We went with dark cabinets, the color is called Kona and it is made by Merillat. The cabinets are really tall and will give us lots of storage space (not as much as our old house, but close enough).

The granite that we went with is called Bianco Romano Granite. It has already been installed and I have to say that even though I am not a granite machine, I really like it!

For now, we are happy with the 4" granite backsplash, but we may eventually change it out for something more substantial and a bit our style. Strangely enough, I haven't even started thinking about what tile we may put in its place so I don't have any pictures for you. When we get more serious about it, you know I will waste lots of your time with all the ideas running through my brain.

We paid for more updates in this house than cheap-skates like us normally would. One of our most expensive updates was getting a gas line run into the house for the stove. As I said earlier, Scott spends lots of time in the kitchen. I finally convinced him that it would be worth the extra money to cook on something that he really enjoyed cooking on. And, it is a pretty fancy-dancy looking stove:

image from here

We have to buy our own fridge. The builder recommended a counter-depth fridge and they tend to be a bit pricier than standard refrigerators. We decided that it was worth the extra money not to have our kitchen be cramped up with fridge sticking 4 extra inches out into the middle of it. It turns out that the 4th of July weekend is the best time all year to buy a fridge. So, woo hoo for timing finally working out on our side. We considered going really fancy dancy on the fridge too and getting a french door type. It would have been more than double the price of a side by side fridge and we decided it wasn't worth it.

What an exciting way to start out the 2nd floor. I am going to try my hardest to get 2 posts in this week. So, just hold your horses and wait for what exciting things might be coming your way!

First Floor Plans, Part 6: Scott's Office Closet & The Stand-Up/ Sit-Down Treadmill Desk

Heyyyyyyyyyyy! Welcome back to Floor Plan! I apologize that I only wrote one post last week. It was vacation time and there did not seem be a spare minute to finish any of the one million posts that I have written to 75% completion. 

The good news is that TODAY IS THE DAY that you will stop hearing about the first floor plans. I cannot possibly drag this on any longer. And, I am really excited to start talking about the second and third floors.

Last week, I showed you a bit of Scott's office closet. It is going to be fancy. There will be standing. There will be sitting. There will be treadmill-ing. There will be storage. And, yes, there will be a valet rod for guest's clothes. 

Here is the plan that Scott drew for his space and the labels that I added.

Scott and I did plenty of research when looking for the perfect stand-up/ sit-down desk for him. Scott specifically asked me not to waste my time looking for things for him, but it would have been impossible for me to not get involved in it. In his internet research Scott found a few things that inspired him.

Here are some photos and links for others who might be interested in having their own stand-up desk:
ps it should be noted that most of the photos are of things that I thought were cool and that may not have been Scott's cup of tea.

Here is a video of a guy who made a stand-up treadmill desk.

Lots of photos of stand-up desks from here:

Ikea Hackers like to spend their time hacking Expedits and other Ikea furniture into stand-up desks.

This is a great tutorial on how to build an adjustable standing desk.

Here is a blogger who likes the sitting/ standing/ treadmill situation..

While Scott chose to look to others for ideas, I took the route of drawing awesome pictures of how I thought the set-up should be. And, you know I used my favorite program, Microsoft Paint.

ehhhh... I think we all know that the illustration below only makes sense to me. 

That is how I will end the stand-up sit-down portion of closet central.

As for what the rest of the closet will be used for... I plan to use just about every spare inch that he doesn't need. If the space ends up being anything like my crazy day dreams of it, it will be one major extravaganza of efficient storage. I will also have a shelf or two where guests can keep their things. There will be some sort of valet rod that hangs down for a shelf for our guest's hangable items.

Here is a closeup of the space from the plans. The dimensions are 6' 10" by 6' 2". Not too shabby!

And that, my dear friends, concludes the first floor. 

Here are all 6 parts to that fabulous level. Ugh it is ridiculous that it took me 6 sections to complete this.
Part 1: The porch, the foyer, and the garage
Part 2: The bathroom
Part 3: The massage room/ guest bedroom
Part 4: Decorating the stairs
Part 5: Scott's office closet, Part 1
Part 6: Scott's office closet, Part 2

I also want to wish a belated happy birthday to one of my BFFs!