Organized Chaos: Hair Accessory Organizer
All Brina’s headbands, flowers, decorative hair ornaments organized and in one spot
A few months ago I showed you our Easy DIY Headband Holder. As you can see from the pictures on this post we are still using it. It works very well for our girls. Since they wear more than just headbands I wanted to find a solution that would help organize all the pretty, fluffy, and decorative hair ornaments they have as well.
My qualifications for getting these items organized:
- Must assist in making these items more organized
- Able to be hung in a visible location and still look nice
- Easy to see, reach, and get access to the items when the kids need them
- Reasonably priced organizer because I will need 2 (one in each of the kids room)
- Something that we could hang near to the headbands (which were already hanging on the back of their closet doors).
It took me a little longer to find the perfect organizer for these items. Part of the reason it took longer is I wasn’t really sure what I wanted for the decorative hair accessories. I wasn’t in a rush so I just kept an eye out for ideas while in various stores. One day when I was going through CVS the clearance section happened to catch my eye. I paused for a moment and these little blue and black organizers were in the clearance section marked down to $1.* After looking at them and thinking about them I decided to pick them up and see if I could make them work for the kids hair accessories.
It was exactly the type of item I was looking for and at a great price! The organizer fit all the current hair accessories items I wanted to put in it plus had room for some extra ones too. When I am on top of things (which doesn’t always happen) I will put the kids seasonal hair accessories in the extra pockets on the organizer too (ie. Christmas, July 4th, Halloween, etc… hair accessories during that specific season).
The organizer hangs on the back of the closet door where the kids can easily reach it. It goes right under the Easy DIY Headband Holder so everything is available in one spot. The items are visible and easy to reach. It meets all my qualifications for getting the kids hair accessories organized. These have worked very well for our family!
*I tried to find these on the CVS website, but either they do not carry them online or they are not available. You can look in your local store or I am sure there are other stores that carry a similar item. This one on Amazon or something similar might work well too if you are looking for one.
Looking down on the Easy DIY Headband Holder and Hair Accessory Organizer as it is hanging on the closet door
Organized and ready to go!
Organized Chaos: Jewelry Organizer
Necklace & Jewelry Organizer
Having girls in the house means you are bound to have some jewelry around. As the girls got older they continued to accumulate more necklaces. It slowly became harder to keep the necklaces organized without them getting tangled or putting them in a spot that was hard for them to easily access.
I wanted to find something simple, easy, and reasonably priced. It took awhile of looking around to find one that I liked and could hang on the back of their closet doors. I ended up finding this one at our local Michaels store and bought it using a coupon. At first I only got one because I wanted to make sure I really liked it before getting another one. After a couple weeks I still liked it so I used another coupon and got the second one. It has been nice to having all their necklaces organized and visible.
Our kids are using it mostly for necklaces since they do not have pierced ears yet, but you can use it for earrings, belts, watches, scarves, rings, bracelets, ties, or a multitude of other things. I like that it is simple design, not too big, and yet pretty. It hung on the back of the closet door so it is accessible for the kids to reach when they want to wear one of their special necklaces. All of these necklaces were given to them from family or friends and have special memories so I am happy that they are now displayed well and tangle free.
Brina’s necklaces are organized now!
Flashback Friday: Exploring the World
Loving the flowers and petals! Brina in the purple and Karlie in the pink.
Today’s Flashback Friday takes us back to when the girls were just over a year old. They loved exploring new things. Now that they were constantly on the move they were getting into all kinds of things around the house. Thankful for these little blessings and for the opportunity to watch them grow up.
Their smiles always brighten my days!
Love their cute little pinchable and kissable cheeks!
My little sweet peas are growing up too fast!
Flashback Friday: Giggles & Sweet Cheeks
Brina and Karlie all smiles!
Today’s flashback Friday takes us back a few years to 2005 when the girls were only 7 months old. They had the cutest pinchable and kissable cheeks during those early growing years. When they were not exploring, eating, or learning new activities they were giggling.
It was adorable when they would make each other laugh over something silly. After 12 weeks bedrest, a month in NICU, and 5 months on house arrest it was nice to get out and explore with the little ones. Although leaving the house with two infant carriers, diaper bag, purse, stroller, and all other little necessities at that age was quite an adventure in itself.
At that age they didn’t have much hair so we would use washable Elmer’s glue to stick their little bows to their heads, ha. When we gave them a bath it would come right off! It is difficult to believe that these giggling 7 month olds turned double digits last month! Time goes by quickly when your having fun.
Flashback Friday – Time Spent in the NICU
Karlie and Brina in their bed at the NICU!
Today’s flashback is to February 2005 when the two beautiful blessings were born – my daughters Brina and Karlie! After 12 weeks of permanent bed rest they came 7 weeks early and spent almost a month in the NICU. Thankfully, they spent the majority of their time in NICU sharing a crib. They looked so cute and all wrapped up together in their blanket. It is hard to imagine them being this tiny – Karlie was 3 pounds 15 ounces and Brina was 4 pounds 9 ounces when they were born.
At first they were not able to finish all their milk on their own so they had NG tubes. Jake had to hold up a syringe with the remaining milk and would drain directly into their little tummies! It wasn’t long before they were drinking their full portion on their own!
Sleeping beauties! Can you tell who is who?! Karlie is next to Mr. Duck and Brina is sleeping next to Miss Kitty
“Thinking of You” Star Balloon!
One of my daughters had a minor surgery (she got a set of tubes put in her ears) a couple weeks ago. Her sister wanted to pick up a get well balloon for her for after the surgery. We went to the Dollar Store and she picked out a balloon that she thought would “make her smile”.
Instead of the traditional get well balloon she got a star balloon because her sister loves anything related to space. The balloon was a big hit and is still floating above her bed even now. It amazes me how long the Dollar Tree balloons can stay up!
This little gesture of kindness, from sister to sister, reminds me of how thankful I am for kids who are thoughtful and loving (most days) towards their family members. Sometimes it’s the little things you do or acts of kindness that make the biggest impact on the lives of others. We need to do more acts of kindness to show we care for our family, friends, and those around us. It only takes a little effort from us, but it may go a long way in lifting someone’s spirits, much like this balloon lifted my daughter’s spirits.
Happy Kids & Messy Mud Pies
The girls love making mud pies! I cannot count the number of times they have been found mixing up a batch of dirt, sand, clay, pebbles, water, sticks, and a variety of other treasures they find in the yard to make their special mud pies. The mud pie in this picture was made especially for me! 🙂 It is what they call a “Happy Mud Pie”! When I was a kid my Mom would let me make mud pies in the backyard so this activity brings back some fun memories for me too. Although, I don’t remember getting so dirty doing it as a kid, but my Mom may have a different opinion about that subject. Ahem…
To be honest one of the biggest reasons I am not a big fan of the kids making mud pies is because it is messy (I don’t like big messes), not to mention the random holes they happen to dig in our yard, but when I do allow it they usually have a blast and come up with some interesting creations. They always get excited when they get my approval to make mud pies! After whipping up their mud pie concoctions they will set them out in the sun to bake for a couple days. Once they are good and dry they will pop them out of their containers and proudly show us their fun creations.
The more I think about it the mud pie making process is good practice for cooking (measuring ingredients, mixing, etc…) plus it allows them to experiment, and be creative with a variety of ingredients. While I will probably never be a fan of messes sometimes I have to let go of my priorities and just allow the kids to have fun making a mess. Plus, if it is warm enough outside I can hose them down prior to coming indoors. 🙂 I am thankful for my kids and glad that they enjoy opportunities to play, be creative, and yes even make messy mud pies.
Can I Take Those Words Back?
A kid activity that teaches about how our words impact others.
We have been working through two devotional books with the girls lately. One of them goes through the Bible in a year and the other one is more of an hands on activity with a lesson called Object Talks for Any Day by Verna L. Kokmeyer. The kids like both of them, however, we only do the Object Talks devotional on days when we have a little more time because they require preparation, an activity, lesson, and conversation about the lesson taught.
This particular lesson was about our words and watching what we say to others. This was a great lesson for the beginning of the school year as well as a great reminder for all of us (both kids and parents) that our words have an impact on those around us.
Objects: A plate and tube of toothpaste.
Applicable Bible Verse: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” – Psalm 19:14 (ESV)
Activity:
- Ask for a volunteer.
- Have the volunteer squeeze all the toothpaste out of the tube onto the plate.
- Ask for another volunteer.
- Have them try and put all the toothpaste from the plate back into the toothpaste tube.
Lesson to Talk About: Like the toothpaste our words can come out pretty quickly and easily, however, once our words are out we cannot take them back. We have all said something to someone and instantly or later realized it probably wasn’t the best thing to say. Our words can have a powerful impact on those around us. They can make people laugh, cry, hurt others feelings, and much more. Plus when we speak poorly to or about others it makes us look bad as well. It is important that we allow our thoughts and words to be good, encouraging, wholesome, and kind to those we encounter. What we fill our hearts and minds with will often come out our mouth and reveal what we are truly thinking. Much like the impossible task of getting toothpaste back into the tube we cannot take back the words we say to others. The toothpaste in this example was contained to the plate, however, our words can make a big mess and cause hurt to others for a very long time.
We all could spend a little more time focusing our hearts, minds, and thoughts on good things. Life is short and we want to spend our time being an encouragement and blessing to those around us. May we seek God’s wisdom regarding our thoughts and our speech.
We used a sample of Tom’s of Maine toothpaste I received in the mail for this activity. A sample size is big enough to get the point across!
Brina squeezing out all the toothpaste onto the plate! Like the toothpaste, it’s amazing how quickly our words can come out of our mouths.
The toothpaste is out!
Karlie attempting the impossible task of putting all the toothpaste back into the tube! Once our words our spoken we cannot take them back.
She tried a lot of different ways to get the toothpaste back into the tube – fingers, toothpaste cap, toothpick, and more yet it was a messy and impossible to get it all of the toothpaste back into the tube. The girls like these type of devotional lessons because they are interactive, have a creative and visual way to teach the lesson, and they tend to be more memorable for them. All of us could probably use a reminder regarding our words and the impact they have on others.
A Sweet & Simple Note Can Melt a Moms Heart
Occasionally, Jake has to travel for work and there are times when he is gone random craziness happens at home. On this particular week Jake was gone it was busy with a lot of school activities, tutoring, animals getting out of their pen, doctor appointments, sick kids, and more. This particular day had a tough afternoon noon of school work, followed by chasing the goats back into their zone (multiple times), leftovers for dinner, a couple of not-so-cool Mommy moments, and running around trying to get the kids in bed on time.
By the time the girls were in bed I was exhausted and ready to relax, but lunches still needed to be put together, dishes washed, kitchen picked up, bills to be paid, and more regular household duties waiting for my attention. I decided to take 10 minutes and sit down, on the couch, and reflect on the events of the day. While sitting there I started thinking about everything I could have done better regarding my interactions with the girls in some of the sticky situations specifically regarding my actions, words, and attitude.
As I was thinking about the day I looked over at the dry erase board and saw a note from Karlie. Some days you don’t know if they realize how much we love them…..then they do something spontaneous and sweet like this simple note that melts my heart. And brings more tears! We are not perfect parents by a long shoot, but it does a Moms heart good to know that they really do feel loved and appreciated even in amidst those hurried, frustrating, and crazy days. I had no idea this note was on the dry erase board or when she put it there with everything going on that day, but it was the perfect encouragement boost I needed for that evening. Thankful for my kids and for their thoughtful ways of showing love.
She picked yellow so it’s a little harder to read, but it says:
I love Daddy.
I love Mommy.
I love Brina.
I love Oreo, Snowball, and Skipper.
Heart Reflections: 30 Quick Tips on Being a Positive Parent
The other day I was filling out a card for a cousin who recently had a baby. As I was writing the card I had a whirlwind of thoughts, advice, and things I wanted to share with this couple who just recently began this wonderful parenting journey. This is part of what I shared with them which was also a great reminder to me and hopefully an encouragement to you if you’re a parent as well. I have edited it to remove their specific names on the card.
Congratulations! We are so happy for your sweet family! Welcome to the crazy and fun parenting party! Wishing all of you a lifetime packed full of laughter and wonderful memories. Praying that parenting will be a great adventure for you. We are thrilled for all of you and wish you the very best! Many Blessings!
Parenting Tips We Want to Share (I added a couple more to the list since writing the card):
- Laugh as often as possible (even at your own mistakes)
- Make a point to hug your child and tell her that you love her everyday
- Cherish the memories, they really do grow up way too fast
- Show grace and mercy often
- Never discipline when you’re angry
- Take lots of pictures, especially of your times together
- Seek God’s wisdom daily for your life, marriage, and parenting
- Be a positive and encouraging cheerleader for your kid
- Take time regularly to listen to your child
- Breathe deeply and count to 10 when your patience is being stretched thin
- You will feel more like a “SuperDad” and “SuperMom” after a full nights sleep
- Spend quality one-on-one time with your child
- Read to them, sing with them, and play with them
- Pray a lot – some days you’ll really need it
- Protect, guide, and nurture the best you can then trust that God will work in their hearts
- Words can be used to build up or tear down (make sure to chose them wisely)
- It’s the little things that make the biggest impact on our kids
- It doesn’t have to be flashy or expensive to be fun
- Be content with your life
- Give generously to others
- Find teachable moments each day (kids love learning new stuff)
- Speak kindly to and about others (little eyes are watching what you do and hearing what you say)
- Stand up for what’s right (even when it’s hard)
- Allow your kids to make some mistakes on their own so they can learn
- Get creative and have fun together – life’s too short to be boring
- Smile, slow down a little, and enjoy this wonderful part of your life
- Make the “normal” everyday events exciting
- Go on adventures
- Do family devotions and pray together
- Explore and try new activities together
There are so many areas of our lives that are stretched when we are parents. While being a parent is the most rewarding experience it is also one of the most challenging. It feels like I am constantly making mistakes or doing/saying something that’s not edifying or encouraging to my kids. Yes, they know very well how to “push my buttons,” but that doesn’t mean I have to over react either. Thankful for my kids and the many lessons they teach me about parenting.
