LADDventure

Creating a Flexible, Fun Kid Bedroom

As you may know, this mama-to-be is in full on nesting mode, but it can be tricky with adoption from foster care. There are so many unknowns when it comes to setting up a room for our kids. We don't know what gender they will be, when exactly we'll have a placement, what their likes and dislikes will be, or even what exact age they will be when we meet them. Many of those things are just like giving birth to a newborn, but there are definitely some extra unknowns in our situation. When thinking about their bedrooms, here are some things I do know:

• We are adopting two siblings between the ages of Birth-6 years old.
• They could be here anytime after we're certified in a couple months.
• We need a flexible arrangement. For now we're keeping the queen bed in the room. Depending on our needs, we'll either keep it for an older child, put on a bed rail or swap it out for a crib if we get a little one, or even replace it with two twins or bunk beds if our kids can share.
• They might be able to share a room if they're the same gender/close enough in age. If so, we get to keep an extra bedroom for guests. We have a full-sized bed in the other room already, and it's closer to being ready for kids if we need it. I will do a few minor things in there to make sure it's welcoming, but we've cleared it out of any unnecessary things, and it's ready to go otherwise.
• Things will get infinitely more crazy when kids get here, so having a gender-neutral and flexible, but ready and welcoming space is a priority.

This week I'm tackling this project, so the room is empty, the paint is purchased, and I'm off! I created the mood board above to put all my inspiration in one place, organize my thoughts, and see how it looked together. Here's what I'm thinking:

1. A deep gray on the walls. I chose Sherwin Williams Peppercorn .The room gets a lot of natural light, so I think balanced with white and pops of color, this will be perfectly cozy without being too dark.

2. Some sort of white textured quilt as a base layer for the bed. I know, I know, but it can be bleached.

3. We already have this gray quilt to layer, and I just love it.

4. My mom is crocheting blankets for each of the kids, so they'll have their own special blankets waiting on their beds. This yellow chevron one is finished, and she's working on a very similar one in red for the other kiddo.

5. This AKERGYLLEN pillow from IKEA would make for a great pop of color on the bed. Yes?

6. The blinds in this room are broken, so we're replacing them with white wood blinds I think, and framing the window with these red velvety light blocking curtains from Target.

7. We purchased this HEMNES dresser from IKEA. It's waiting to be put together after the room is painted. We already have the smaller version with just three drawers, and love it. So this is going to the bigger room, and we moved the smaller one to the smaller room.

8. There will definitely be a book spot in the room using these RIBBA picture ledges from IKEA.

9. A bright LACK table makes a great addition to any kid space. Great for playing cars, cooking fake food feasts, or art projects. The possibilities are endless for $12.99

10. Already purchased this set of three bicycle canvases from Target for under the three mini windows in the room. They let great light through, and we've decided to just keep the blinds off of them all together.

11. Loved how this geometric mountain art (also from Target) brought in so many colors in a modern way, so it jumped in my cart along with the bike art.

12. A colorful lamp, or a fun nightlight like this one is a must in a kids' room.

13. Flexible storage solutions in the form of a few baskets to toss stuff in are essential in my book. Why not make them bold and beautiful, like these striped ones?

14. I fell in love with the sentiment of this sign, and need to have something that says this in that room! It's such a sweet reminder and promise.

15. Obsessed with these whimsical chihuahua hooks designed by fellow bloggers from Young House Love for Target! I want two to hang at kid level, for easy hanging up of their own things.

16. This sweet turtle will be waiting for one of our little ones. It was a gift from my aunt. When we told her we were adopting she sent a special stuffed animal for each child. It's her tradition to give all her nieces/nephews, and great nieces/nephews a stuffed animal to correspond to a nickname. It was such a supportive, thoughtful thing to send and our kids are already so loved.

17. I must make some pom pom garland, cause I think it's the happiest of all the garlands and adds some necessary whimsy!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm heading to tackle some painting and start getting an actual space ready for actual kids. Eeek! So excited to share some before and after photos in a post next week hopefully. Stay tuned!

**Thank you so much for all your love and support. We need it, and are looking so forward to meeting our kids! I'll be keeping everyone updated via the blog since I'm sure I will run out of time along the way to individually share details with everyone.  If you'd like to follow along for what's sure to be an interesting story, make sure to sign up for all the latest posts by just entering your email address and hitting subscribe in the upper right corner of the blog.**

Friends in First Places

photo credit:  LoveFeast Table

I had coffee with a new-ish friend yesterday. I've known her a little over a year, but she's one of those people who I've instantly clicked with and is good for my soul, because I feel like she just gets me. She moved into a new house a while back, and things have been crazy busy for her, but she just texted me the other day to ask me over for coffee. She's adorable, and so is her new house, and I was excited to get the grand tour and see how she's made it a home.  She showed me the dining room chairs she had just painted, and the top of the console table she planned to paint the same color.  I saw the spaces where she creates, where her children sleep, and had coffee in the kitchen where she has hers every morning. 

There is something sacred about inviting someone into your space.  One of my favorite authors, Shauna Niequist, talks about how we have become 'the third place' generation.  We meet in a third place outside of one another's homes usually.  We tend to prefer the coffee shop, out for dinner, or happy hour drinks to gatherings at home.  But, there is something different and more true about meeting in our first places - in our kitchens and living rooms.  Inviting our friends to share coffee at the same table our kids do their homework after school, preparing a little something for them with our own two hands, or like my friend did, stopping by the bakery for two perfectly gooey cinnamon rolls to indulge in together while taking an hour and a half to talk about life.

It's not just that it connects us to each other.  It really does connect us to our truest and humblest selves.  Nothing humbles you like being vulnerable enough to share your dust bunnies and the inside of your fridge with a friend.  We have no choice but to drop our masks and leave perfect at the door, whether we're the one being invited in or the one doing the inviting.  I want my friendships to look more like this; real connection in real ways over simply being willing to let each other in.  So thanks for the coffee Kristin, and for the record, I didn't see one dust bunny and the inside of your fridge was lovely. 

This post is also included in the Gathered Thoughts Link Party.  All participating bloggers have shared a post based on a quote from one of LoveFeast Table's lovely Gathered Thoughts Box.  Head on over to check out the other posts, and enter for your chance to wine a Gathered Thoughts Box of your own or this great spiral journal set.

How I Meal Plan

I work from home, and am lucky enough to have lots of flexibility built into that arrangement.  You would think that means I always have a spotlessly clean house and four course meals on the table every night, but you would be wrong.   I'm very much still figuring out a system to tackle all the household tasks that need to get done.  First and foremost on that neverending list is grocery shopping/meal planning, and through lots of trial and error, I think I've come up with a pretty good system. While I am no Betty Crocker, my system has definitely improved from my days of teaching full time, during which it was a small miracle that food magically made it into our pantry and fridge and eventually ended up on a paper towel in the microwave plate for dinner.  Here's what's working for us right now:

List making and grocery shopping on Thursdays

Shopping on Thursdays works best for me for a few reaons.   First, the stores tend to have just switched their sales (usually on Wed.), so there is a big selection of sale items available.  Second, I can pick up anything special I might need for weekend gatherings or events since plans are already in place.  I also avoid the weekend or Monday crowds. Bonus - my favorite cashier always works Thursdays.  She is a sweet older lady who's fun to talk to and always makes sure my chips and bread don't get smushed.

Shopping primarily at Target

We have a Super Target in town with a full grocery.  It's so great to take a swing through cute shoes and Nate Berkus' latest collection at the same place I buy deodorant and olives. We do supplement with a few bulk items at Sam's/Costco once a month and fresh produce from the farmer's market occasionally, but for the most part it's a one stop shop, which is very convenient and makes grocery shopping less of a chore.  I also combine their online coupons with the Cartwheel app on my phone.  This week, I saved $19 between those two things.

The grocery notebook

I have a specific notebook that's just for grocery shopping.  I use this one (also found at Target).  It seems to be the perfect size and has two different pockets to keep coupons together.  Every week I open up to a new two page spread.  On the left, I plan meals for the week based on what we already have on hand, what's on sale, etc.  I also do not plan a new meal for every night.  I schedule leftovers, dinners out, or even a frozen pizza right in there.  I also use that space to write down any other recipes I might want to make like banana bread, or a new dessert.  Doing this meal planning first helps me make sure I include any ingredients I need on my list.  On the right I make my list using a four corners method.  I do this so it can all fit on one page by grocery store area.  For example, I might start my dairy list in the upper left corner and meat in the upper right going down, but then produce in the lower left and dry goods in the lower right going up.  This is a little OCD I will admit, but it really makes grocery shopping go faster and ensures I don't forget things.

One person in control of the budget and shopping

I'm responsible for the groceries around these parts.  While Mr. Ladd will certainly run to the store for a few things every once in a while, we find it's easier for one person to primarily take care of it.  We have a set grocery/household budget, and every other week on payday, I take that amount of cash out for the next two weeks.  This has been a huge help in staying on budget and not just throwing random things in the cart.  It's easy (especially when you find cute things at Target) for that grocery bill to creep up, but this really helps.

Being flexible

Lest you think I am an organized control freak when it comes to planning our meals, this is all very flexible, and nothing is set in stone. If we spontaneously decide to order take out instead of making tacos, I just make the tacos the next night.  And, sometimes we're just not in the mood for whatever's on the menu so I keep quick things like quinoa, pasta, and even that frozen pizza on hand.

I hope some of these ideas are helpful for you, and I'd love to hear what you do to organize your grocery shopping and meal planning.  I'm always looking for suggestions in this area.  Also, Kelsey from Rising*Shining and I are always talking about this topic, and we get into it in this episode of The Girl Next Door Podcast.

Do You Roku?

When I quit my teaching job to pursue writing full time, we made some changes.  We looked for ways to cut down our monthly expenses and financial obligations to make for some more breathing room in our now one-income budget.  One of the areas we did that was in our TV/Satellite bill by switching to a less conventional option, and it's had the added side effect of bringing more simplicity and less wasted time to our lives. We get a lot of questions about our current setup, so I thought I'd let you know how it's working for us.

We were formerly with Direct TV and paying about $120 a month with no premium channels but the NFL Sunday Ticket (gotta watch my Packers on Sunday) included.  When I type that number it seems ludicrous to me.  Because now we pay $16 a month.  Here's how:

We have a digital HD antenna which gets us all the network and local TV stations right through our TV with a better signal than we even had with the satellite, seriously.

We also have a Roku box which provides internet based streaming television on our TV.  It's the same concept as Apple TV.  On the box there are channels like Hulu (which we pay $8/month for the HuluPlus subscription to watch our favorite shows when we have time) and Netflix (another $8/month).  There also is all kinds of other channels on the Roku like Pandora, Amazon, and Vudu for renting movies, playing music, etc.  I just love that little black box.

F.A.Q. 

How much was the digital antenna and the Roku box?

There was an initial one time investment of $100 for the digital antenna and $40 for the Roku box.  Those paid for themselves within the first two months of saving by not paying a monthly Direct TV bill.

Are there channels you can't get?

Yes, currently some of my former favorites like Bravo and HGTV don't have Roku channnels, and don't have shows on Hulu, but I can buy all the Bravo shows a la carte on Amazon for like $3 an episode.  This allows me to still binge watch my Real Housewives of (name the city), but I've found I actually enjoy those guilty pleasures more when it's not just on mindlessly in the background, but I am intentionally sitting down to watch something.  You can find pretty much every episode of any show a la carte on Amazon.  That's how we watch The Walking Dead.  Even if we buy whole seasons of certain shows, it's still way less than $120/month and we're not obligated for that amount each month.

What about The NFL Sunday Ticket?

We've done this a couple different ways since we've made the switch.  The first year, Sony had a deal with Direct T.V. where you could get it through the Playstation 3 and so we did it that way.  This past year, if you bought Madden 25, it came with a code to get The Sunday Ticket again for only about $100 for the game and the NFL Sunday Ticket.

Do you miss satellite or cable?

Not one bit.  Seriously.  I am more surprised by this than anyone.  I love TV and was very hesitant to give up our more traditional set up.  I will never be one of those extremists who don't own a TV and are militant about not letting their kids watch it.  I see nothing wrong with a little unwinding in front of a favorite show, but this is a small change that has made a big difference in our budget and free time, and I actually enjoy it even more now.

 photo credit: abeckstrom via photopin cc

This Time It's Easier

Our house in Wisconsin is officially on the market!  Mr. Ladd just returned from cleaning, painting the porch, and getting it ready for the sign in the front yard. Four years ago to the date, he was doing the same thing to get it ready to rent and join me here in Arizona. Today I'm re-posting my initial thoughts from when we first left our beloved house to move here.  I was sad to leave it then, but since we moved it's been rented by friends and then family, loved well, and is ready for a new family to love.

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Original Post from 8/16/2009

Goodbye House

Jeremiah and the dogs are heading out tomorrow to join me in Arizona! Although I am beyond excited for them to get here, I feel a deep, satisfied kind of sadness as I talk to Jeremiah on the phone today. He's telling me how the only thing left in the house are his clothes, the refrigerator is cleaned out, and the cupboards are bare. Everything is packed and polished and empty, and I cry big tears as he tells me this. I am sad to leave it, but grateful, for the times we've shared and the memories we've made in our first house. I love that it's the first home Jeremiah and I ever owned. I love it's creaky wood floors and arched doorways. I love the way our bedroom window would quietly rattle in a thunderstorm, making me thankful to be warm, and dry, and safe inside. I love the plantation shutters in the office windows, and the color I painted the hallway upstairs. I love the huge front porch that Jeremiah and I would sit on at night, being eaten by mosquitos and drinking wine.

I know when we get a new house out here, there will be fun "new house things" to be excited about, but for now, I'm a little sad as I picture Jeremiah driving away tomorrow morning.
Goodbye house, and thank you for everything!

Favorite Finds

I have kind of a running list of things that I adore.  It's getting pretty full, so I think it's time to share.  I'm not getting paid to promote any of this, I just am really excited about all of these things.  Here's what I'm loving as of late...

At Target

We have a Super Target close to us.  I do most of our grocery shopping there, which is a great excuse to be at Target at least once a week!  Here's a look in my cart.

Wishbone Light Buffalo Ranch
This dressing is great on salads, but my favorite is just to use it as a dip for celery sticks.  It's like wings without the guilt.

Method Tomato Vine All Purpose Cleaner
This stuff is like a garden in a bottle.  It smells incredible and is great for cleaning the kitchen counters.  Plus it's all natural with no harsh chemicals and the bottle is pretty enough to just leave out on the counter.  It's a seasonal limited addition kind of thing, so hurry!  I've been stocking up like mad.  Today it was on sale for $2.66 and I had a $1 coupon today so get in my cart you glorious summer in a spray bottle!

Threshold Organic Blankets
I bought the one in Clownfish Orange, for the guest bedroom, but I really want to get one of each color.  They are the perfect lightweight cotton alternative to a big comforter here in Arizona, and I love the herringbone texture.

Dreyer's Outshine Fruit Bars in Lemon
These are only 2 points on Weight Watchers, and taste like those lemon chills at fairs/carnivals (or if you're from southeastern Wisconsin, Six Flags Great America or Summerfest).

Revlon ColorStay Foundation
As I get older more mature, I'm realizing I need to use foundation regularly to even out my skin tone and provide a good base.  Before it's always just been maybe a little tinted moisturizer and face powder and good to go.   But, lately I've been using Revlon ColorStay Foundation for combination/oily skin (in Warm Golden now that I have a tan), which has a great matte finish for fully made up days or nights out.  I am still experimenting with BB creams and primers for a less made up look (more on that another time)  because it is definitely a full coverage makeup.  But, it  hides shine, spots and wrinkles all day without feeling too cakey or heavy.  It also photographs really well, as I am the queen of the shiny forehead photo otherwise.  They do make another formula for normal/dry skin which has a bit of a satin finish to it for less greasy folk, but I definitely need the matte.

Revlon ColorStay Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain
Ok friends, I tried this on Hollywood Housewife's recommendation the other day.  I am now obsessed - as in I picked up two at Target to try, and had to go to Walgreens later that same day to get 2 more colors obsessed.  I'm usually a lip gloss kind of girl, but sometimes that's just too sticky for me, and often not enough color when you want something kind of bold.  Lipstick seems like too much color sometimes, and I really don't like the texture or way it wears.  This stain is the consistency of a nice moisturizing balm, but with tons of color.  It's also a great way to try bolder colors without looking like a clown. 

On Pinterest

 

Can I just tell you that Pinterest makes me a better person?  No exaggeration.  Now, a lot of my time is wasted on Pinterest, and it can make you feel inadequate if you let it.  But, overall I am far more creative, and life is easier because of Pinterest.
 
Baked Artichoke Chicken
This seems way fancier than it is, but you just throw everything in one pan and stick it in the oven; easy and tasty.

Southwest Quinoa Salad
Absolutely delicious and it is really a filling, hearty, fresh meal.  We had it warm, but it was even better cold the next day.  Perfect for summer!

Confetti Chicken Pasta with Spicy Cream Sauce
I had Mr. Ladd just grill up a few chicken breasts that were marinated in italian dressing and then used half of them for this and half of them for chicken salad the next day.

Breakfast Ham Cups
Everything good about breakfast in convenient, easy to personalize, great to cook for a group little cups.

A Box of Sunshine 
I have now sent out 3 of these boxes of yelow as gifts.  It is so fun to collect all the sunshiny goodies, and it's the perfect gift coming from Arizona to chillier parts of the country.  Such a sweet way to let someone know you are thinking of them.

How about you?  Have you tried any of these?  What are you obsessed with currently? Do share!

Bread & Wine

 

I have a lovely stack of cookbook types on my kitchen counter - the kind of cookbooks that go beyond recipes, and are too beautiful to stay hidden in the pantry.  I started the stack with the arrival of Bread & Wine in mind, knowing it would find its place right on top.  More than a collection of recipes, this book is collection of stories.

It's a memoir; an ode to life around the table.  Recipes are sprinkled in among stories of Shauna's life and what she's learned from coming to the table with people she loves.  It's about inviting others into our messy lives, opening up, and slowing down. It's about memories, community, and how we feed ourselves physically, spiritually and emotionally.  

I have been waiting impatiently for this book, following Shauna's blog and tweets about her writing process, and it has not disappointed. I wrote here about the honor of being involved in her project.  I got to test Annette's Enchiladas and give feedback, and might have squealed a bit when I saw my name in the acknowledgements as a recipe tester! Shauna's words have resonated so deeply with me since her first book, and I have gobbled up every one of them in her third.  The pages of my copy of Bread & Wine are already dog-earred and smudged with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

I can't stop making Robin's Lentil Soup, and I wasn't even positive what a lentil was or that I'd enjoy one previously.  Mr. Ladd and I have fallen in love with the Blueberry Crisp, and I am now the kind of girl who makes her own Balsamic Vinaigrette just to have on hand.  

The recipes are short with simple, wholesome ingredients in easy measurements.  She starts out each one with her personal notes and tips - the kind of advice your mom gives you over the phone when giving you a recipe, adding her opinions about where you should stick to it strictly and where you can deviate.  In my opinion this book is the perfect place to start if you are thinking about cooking or entertaining more often.  It is not about showing off or being fancy.  It is about simple, lovely ways to feed yourself and the people around you, and what happens when you do.

I think what's so special about this book is that it satisfies a craving for authenticity.  We rush through our days not even bothering to feed ourselves with intention, let alone the people we love.  This is a call to stop and be brave enough to connect in real ways around real food.

I'll leave you with Shauna herself inviting you to enjoy her latest creation...

http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/-d_0-2_SkSs&source=uds

Google Map Masterpieces

I was determined to use two old frames I had with 3 small 3x3 inch openings each.  I was also determined not to spend any money doing it.  So, I typed all of the addresses we have lived in since we've been married into Google Maps, printed them off, trimmed them, and filled up the first frame.  One had our first cozy hobbit hole of an apartment in Wisconsin, the second the first house we bought there, and the third our current house in Arizona.

For the other frame, I just wanted it to be filled with places that hold a lot of important memories for us, so I typed in the college house that Mr. Ladd lived in, where all of our best college memories are centered.  I also used our honeymoon spot in Niagara Falls, and our favorite hotel on our trip to Maui 2 summers ago.

 

And voila - instant, free, personalized art to add to my skinny hallway gallery wall, which I will show you when it's complete!

How to Host a House Guest

Spring is perfect weather season in Arizona, and one of my favorite parts about living in a vacation destination is having more than just our smiling faces to draw people to visit us.  We usually have a few rounds of house guests in the springtime, and I really do love hosting.  Hosting others can seem like a lot of pressure, but here are some easy things I always try to do to make guests feel welcome and at home.  I think the little touches are important in hospitality.

The guest bedroom...

INVITING SPACE

Our main guest room is just a fairly simple neutral space.  A queen sized bed, 2 simple nightstands, and an IKEA dresser are all the furnishings.  Eventually we would like to get a small t.v. in here as well as a vintage luggage stand, but for now as long as guests have a clean, comfortable place to rest, and places to set down their things, that is all that matters.  I think keeping it clutter free is really important, as guests suitcases take up room, and they need clear surfaces to comfortably spread out their personal things.  We have extra towels in the bottom drawer of the dresser, which also frees up room in the linen closet, and the middle drawer even holds some things that regular visitors (Mr. Ladd's mom mostly) have just left here so they don't have to pack them all the time.

The photos on the wall were bought in Flagstaff at a local photographer's gallery.  They are gorgeous, and lend some southwest flair without being cheesy.  Eventually I would also love to start a gallery wall above the bed with pictures of guests on their visits here, which can just continue to grow over time.

WELCOME BASKET

On top of the dresser, I always try to have a welcome basket.  I just use this same basket and fill it with goodies that I think my guests will like or need.  For example, this last time when my parents were here, I filled it with granola bars, peanuts (a favorite snack of my dad's) and Fig Newtons (for my mom), a magazine for each of them, sunscreen (the sun's kinda crazy here), aloe (Wisconsinites don't always believe me), pocket tissues, chapstick (it's dry here), gum, mints, etc.

FLOWERS

Another nice touch is fresh flowers on the nightstand.  I just picked these up at the grocery store when doing final shopping for their visit.  They don't have to be expensive, just colorful and inviting.

The guest bathroom...

FRESH FLUFFY RUGS

I'm kind of crazy about this one.  Nothing says welcome like clean fluffy bat mats.  For this reason, I never buy the mats with the rubber backing, but the ones that are just cotton so they can be thrown in the wash and easily fluffed.  If your bath mats are a hot mess, and beyond anything the washer and dryer can help with, then it's time to replace them.  They are not meant to last forever.  T.J. Maxx or Home Goods is a great place to get high quality ones very inexpensively. 

GUEST TOWELS

My number one tip for the guest bathroom (or the shared one when guests come) is to get a set of towels that is only out for guests.  They don't have to be fancy, but they should feel nice.  If they are not in your everyday rotation, they don't get nearly as much wear and tear.  No guest wants to use the threadbare towels you got for your wedding 15 years ago, or the beach towel you've had since college.  I've found that T.J. Maxx or Home Goods is also the best place for these.

NECESSITIES

I have another basket in the bathroom that I fill with wash cloths and an extra hand towel along with things guests might need or have forgotten like toothpaste, hairspray, gel, soap.   Next to it are two little ceramic herb pots I got for $1.00 a piece filled with Q-tips and cotton balls and some air freshener.  Don't think you have to buy an actual matching bathroom toiletry set.  In fact it's much more homey if you use containers with some personality.  I also make sure the shower is stocked with the basics, so regulars around here know they don't have to pack those kinds of things if they don't want to.My thinking is that I want guests to feel almost like it's a spa or hotel with every detail thought of and no need to ask for anything.

GREETING


I always like to pick guests up from the airport with a bottle of water and a snack of some sort.  Sometimes it gets to be a long day traveling, and I know for myself I am often hungry and/or thirsty by the time I deplane and haul my bags to the curb.  So I try to put myself in their shoes.

I guess in general, that's my bottom line philosophy of hospitality.  Think about how you would like to be treated as a guest and then go a little above and beyond that.  People will always remember how you made them feel.

5 Minute Friday - Home

I like to link up with Lisa-Jo Baker on Fridays and join her in writing for 5 minutes on a one word prompt.  It's a great way to get the juices flowing and just write without overthinking or overediting.

Home

Home is wet noses and whiskers snuggled in for a rest
fresh blueberries nestled into warm muffins
long naps sideways on the bed
the breeze and the sun dancing through the window

Home is sweatpants and slippers with nowhere to be
nothing to do, and no one to meet
crackling patio fires under inked starry skies
a glass of wine and sharing life