Yikes!

Some days I feel like this



Yesterday was one of those days. It started off with my darling seven month old refusing to take a nap. She was howling and exhausted so I decided to take a drive to try and get her to sleep. I had all four kiddos with me because it's Mid-Winter break. We piled in the car, in our pj's, infact I didn't even put on shoes :0 and we headed off. After about ten minutes the baby finally fell asleep and I was en-route to home. Unfortunately we got in a car accident.....

Luckily no one was hurt, and truth be told it really wasn't my fault. Someone back out of their driveway into the right side of my car while I was driving down their street. Turns out it was a friend from church and I felt so bad. It was soggy and rainy, oh how I love Seattle weather (insert sacastic eye roll here). Once I assessed that everyone was okay I got out of the car to check out the damage. Yeah, I was really regreting the fact that I was in my PJ's with no shoes on at this point--freezing!!!!

Anyhoo no-one hurt, just our cars, and lots of adrenaline pumping stress. So I came home and tried to chill. Ha, we all know that's pretty much impossible with four kiddos 6 and under! Here's how the rest of my day went:

• 2 year old is potty training she has an accident all over the floor upstairs--clean it up move on
• Spend forever on the phone with the insurance companies while kids beg me for snacks and terrorize each other because I'm certain they feel it's their life's quest to reek havoc when mommy's on the phone
• Make lunch, nobody wants what I've fixed
• Pack orders for the Fabric Shop (this part I enjoyed)
• Then I heard a ewwww scream from my two year old who had climbed behind my couch to pee all over my brand new white curtains. grrr
• While ironing my freshly washed curtains my iron leaked brown rusty liquid on a five inch section. Perfect! (time for another sarcastic eye-roll moment)

Minus the car accident and the rogue iron the other stuff is typical. There are days when I've looked and felt like a crazed cat, but luckily most of my days I feel like this:


Or at least I'm trying to feel like Wonder Woman. Not in the "I can do it all" sense, because I certainly know that's not possible, nor do I wish it were. I'm just talking about the confidence and strength aspect. I know who I am, what I believe in, and what I want for me and my family.

Conclusion: bring on if I have to I can deal with the "the crazed kitty" days. 

Christmas Traditions from Fabric Envy

Can you believe there's only 3 days left until Christmas? My kiddos are so excited, and me too! I love this time of year. Everything seems to slow down and the things that are important to me take on a greater clarity. Yes I know there's always the hustle and bustle that abounds with the shopping, wrapping, and holiday parties, but don't you feel like you take it all in more? The smells, the music, the atmosphere, friends and family, it's all just so inviting. I try to get most of my Christmas shopping done throughout the year and stash gifts in the nooks and crannies of my closet. That way during those last few weeks I can try and soak it all up. It doesn't always work out the way, but I try....

I thought it would be fun to post a couple little things my kids enjoy during the Christmas season. I say little because they're simple touches to add to the magic of Christmas.

This is our Santa plate. I have it on display in my kitchen during December and on Christmas Eve the kids layout their cookies and carrots for the reindeer on it. I did this with some friends at church about 6 years ago or so. We just bought white craft pens and picked up some cheap red plates. The kids get really excited about this special plate just for Santa.



This little poem was given to me by a friend a few Christmas's ago and we've loved it since. We like to bring this to our friends with a plate of Christmas cookies. On Christmas Eve just before we head off to bed the kids run outside and sprinkle the Reindeer Food all over the front yard. They all get so ecstatic about the glitter!



I decided this year to spruce things up a bit and designed this cute tag instead of just typing it up and printing it. You can download the free PDF here. It will print two tags on one 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. Tie or staple this tag to a bag of some oatmeal mixed with glitter and you're ready for a splendid yet simple Christmas tradition to be born.
Click on the image above to download the free printable tags :)

This year we're going to have a little Nativity Puppet show thanks to Sarah Jane and her free download on her blog.



Isn't it just adorable? Her artwork is simply delightful. I have a few pieces of her Children at Play Collection on my website. I wish I had more! I can't wait to see what her next line looks like. I've heard rumor of spunky girl pirates.....


I hope you all have a Merry Christmas! Feel free to share any traditions you have in the comments section. Have fun spreading out your "Reindeer Food". Enjoy the blessings and charm of the season.

Perfection = Delay

Could she be any more beautiful? She is perfection.

This gorgeous baby is my fourth child and third daughter who is now 12 weeks old. I took these pictures when she was just three weeks and If anything she is even more angelic now.

So.... perfection, cutie-pie toes, chubby cheeks, and blissful slumbers = delays. The fabric shop still isn't open, but I promise we really are coming soon and oh boy it's going to be worth it!