Yesterdays FB Question...

Yesterday I asked...

Q: Can your home house children & beautiful décor? How can we keep our nice things nice and our clean things clean??

A: Yes. But only if you have bulk loads of stain remover, a large quantity of gorilla glue, and have more patience than Mother Teresa heeheeheehee hahahahahaha

Actually there are a simple set of rules (I like rules) or guidelines to keep your house, your things, and your sanity.

K.I.S.S.

Not sure where I heard this first but KISS is an acronym for the design principle "Keep it simple, Stupid!". Other variations include "keep it short and simple", "keep it simple AND stupid" or "keep it simple and straightforward". The KISS principle states that simplicity should be a key goal in design, and that unnecessary complexity should be avoided.

And really… KISS is so true in all or most parts of life.

This means NO Knick Knacks, chotchkies, or small breakable fragile items within a 20-30-40” reach. Don’t expect a child to resist your grandmother’s favorite candy dishes on the coffee table or your great uncle’s Hummels on the entry room bench.

Give them the lesson before the mistake

I have found it best to decorate while the kids are at school or asleep. That way it gives you a window of time before they go on high alert to destroy once they’ve seen the target. Sometimes I get away without even them noticing! And if they do come upon my newest treasure we talk about how much mommy loves it and I ask them if they like it too. If at that point they want to pick it up or touch it I let them as I remind them how pretty it looks and then that’s when I hit them with the lesson! BAM!

And pay attention because you’ve got to get it right!! I say...

"I looove this (insert "new thing" here) and Momma would be SO sad if it got ruined, or broken."

This way I am letting them in on a part of the house that is important to me and it makes it important to them.

I’ve seen it in action already even between the kids! M & W bought new toothbrushes the other day and they both wanted the exact same newest greatest glowing, multi-color, swirly light up version. And the first thing M said to W when they were at home putting them away, “W! I love this toothbrush! And if you break it I will make you buy me a new one!”…

Ok.. so it’s NOT exactly as I put it or intend the lesson when I share my feelings for a new item in the home but you get the idea. Wink wink.

How do you keep the “art” from taking over like the Blob?

That’s simple! Even since M was little we have always “displayed her art” in a prominent part of the house for a specific amount of time (usually a week or two.. maybe 3 if I don’t feel up to taking it down and organizing it)

Currently our art display is this:

Once it’s time to come down…

Each child has a box or three like this:

They are available at Michaels (I got mine when they were on sale for about $7/ea), probably JoAnns… It’s a scrapbook paper organization case. They stack great and I even use them in the kids closet for the top shelf to keep sweaters & other misc. stuff organized. At this point I decide what stays and what goes. I’ve never really put the vote to the kids but when we go back through their boxes they are always pleased with the selections. I’m sorry if I offend the mom that keeps EVERYTHING but I’m exhausted by the amount of paper that comes home so I keep it to the stuff that really means something or shows signs of being a sentimental favorite. Remember… KISS

And what about the TOYS! Ugh…

I could go two ways with this one… tell you how I handle it now… or tell you how I’m changing this up and will have put in place by the time summer is over… hhmm… lets go with the new theory!!

No toys in their bedroom!!!! Yup you heard me! Zero. Zip. Nada!! Well.. maybe some books...

I have an extra room in the back of the house that will encompass all the kids toys. All the noise, clutter & debauchery can take place in a room totally out of view from any vantage point inside our home.

This will allow the kids rooms to be what they are meant to be. A place of rest. Of peace. Of solitude. Aren’t those our favorite things about our bedrooms?

I'm a pinning fool on Pinterest as I decide how to re-do the kids rooms sans toys! They have always been the staple in their rooms and so tends to be the main theme of the room. I Loooove Pinterest! Don't you!!? If you haven't joined the craze yet but would like to check it out, send me your email address and I will send you an invitation!

So after I tackle the chore of de-toying the kids rooms I will be put to the task to blend this:

 with this:

because of the varying ages of our children. I will keep you posted on my progress!!

Have a “No Kid Zone”

Designate one area of your home that is just your own. No kids, Not today, Not tomorrow, Not never.

Try not to have it look like this allllll the time....

How do I do it all?

Baking, blogging, child-rearing, laundry, boo-boo’s, emails, lunchtime, crafts, toilet-scrubbing… you name it I do it. Don’t get me wrong.. the darling bf does his fair share of laundry and cleaning up spills but there is only one answer to that question…

I DON’T. And I’m okay with that.

Life is short and as you age it goes by faster and faster so no matter what else is going on it’s family first. As I am new & still in the learning curves of it all… blogging, decorating, and my craft business are ways for me to build a little business with my family in mind, not only to make a little money for us, but also... because those things make me HAPPY! :)

And you know what they say... "If Momma ain't happy........"  haha

It’s not all rainbows and butterflies but when you love what you do it makes it all worth while!!

Just don’t bug me when I haven’t had any sleep or coffee and am stuck in a laundry rut with no milk in the house!! heehee

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