Domestic Fashionista

Life Is For Living

Last summer my parents were in town visiting so I got a little picnic and journal in the park time to myself. I took these pictures to share but never did. I stumbled upon them today and the words I jotted down in my journal a year ago, still rings true today. I think I need to start up another journal for these timely reminders.

Life is for Living

Things I'm Learning:

+ differentiate between what I can and can't control

+ pivot: changing how I see things, what I expect, the things I value, how I spend my time

+ finding joy in the simple

+ I get to choose how I live

+ filter out the discouraging - amplify the encouraging

+ whatever is lovely

+ how can I do less so that I can live more?

+ I am not alone. there are people who are on the same page as me. just because I don't feel like the majority, doesn't mean I am alone in my feelings.

+ I am not meant to be silent. speak with grace and truth always. my voice matters.

File Folder Organization For Kid's Activities

This past year has changed the way I spend time with my kids at home. With no place to go and endless hours at home, I had to start getting creative with ways to entertain my children that allowed me breaks throughout the day but also sparked a little joy. We started doing a lot more crafts and it slowly became a part of our everyday.

Five months into the pandemic I got pregnant and we now have our baby boy so craft and activity time is not as elaborate as it was. But instead I have found a few things that are easy and fun for us to do and have organized it in a way that is easy to grab - making it more likely that we actually follow through and do the activities.

I found these beautiful pastel file folders (and labeled with my label maker) that organize and hold all our crafts and activities. And then we have one cabinet in our dining room that I hold all our art supplies in.

I have one folder for coloring and Do-A-Dot pages. Another folder for laminated activities (like alphabet and number printables for matching or tracing). And another folder for that month's Magic Playbook activities (a monthly printable subscription that we love!). We pretty much only do Magic Playbook crafts in this season with an infant because it is easy and the projects are beautiful. I do not have much time to scour Pinterest for ideas right now! The subscription makes things so much easier.

Now when it is time to do an activity, I just grab a folder and pull something out. This has proven to be a game changer now that things are organized.

And here are a few of our recent projects hanging up for display...

Everyday Flowers

It's no secret that I love flowers. My mom has owned a florist all of my life and I like to think I learned a lot from growing up at a flower shop. My mother in law recently told me, as I put some flowers on our mantel, that I arranged flowers just like my mom!

My mom apologizes that she never taught me how to cook but perhaps I am more grateful she passed on a love for flowers and some simple flower arranging skills! I mostly mix arrangements out of grocery store blooms and cuttings from our garden. Between the bountiful garden we have at our current home and this pandemic, I have spent a lot of time this year bringing a little beauty into our home through flowers.

Make your flower arrangements last longer:

Take out flowers that are dying, change the water, and fill in with flowers, leaves, or branches from nature. I especially love the fillers (or greens) that come with store bought flowers that usually last quite a bit longer than the flowers. They can last weeks and help fill in new bouquets well. Eucalyptus is my favorite!