armommy sewing 101 class.

our first class was such a hit, we couldn't wait to do more!

won't you join us?

email me to sign up or if you have questions.

loves . rae . vp + mom . armommy

double dutch.

i've been a stay at home mom, a working [outside of the home] mom and a working from home mom.  they all come with their own challenges.  at least that has been my experience.  at the moment, i work from home.  some days [like today] it is seemingly im.poss.ible to get anything more then keep my kids alive and fed, done [hence this midnight post].  wherever i go, there they are.  i'm like a magnet to those cute little munchkins and although it melts my heart most of the time, it drives me nuts the rest of the time.

those are the days that i brainstorm ways to set boundaries or keep them engaged and entertained, yet supervised, long enough to finish an email.  today, i had the best idea.  possibly genius!  what if my entire house was outfitted with these:

dutch doors...

can you tell i'm excited?

so full of character and function i could scream!

i'm guessing it would cost mucho monies to replace all our doors, but it would be so worth it.  i could see and hear all my children while working.  i could even leave projects out without fear of children's footprints, grimy hands or one of them taking off with my needles or scissors.  AND ozzie [9 yo] could build legos without his littles smashing them to bits!

maybe, just maybe, there is a way to make our existing doors dutch...?  it will take some convincing.  ok, begging.  ok, bribing [like a puppy for our family...  see pic above], but maybe yoder [my husband] could figure out a way to get er' done.  what do you say honey?

what do you guys think?

lastly, i would just like to say, i love dutch people right now.  brilliant.

nighty night . rae . vp + mom . armommy  

p.s. ~ most of the pictures are from costal living.

lovies.

i saw the most charming picture of a little girl on a cup of jo this evening, which brought me to our labor of love {which is why 15 minutes of perusing a certain blog can easily lead to 2 hours of viewing many} and the following pictures...  an entire photo session dedicated to lovies and the kids who find them so loveable, cuddle-able,  suck-able, irresistible, comfortable and irreplaceable.

     

 

their pictures are all so endearing and organic, dontcha think?! 

i’ve  also just been inspired to include lovies in pictures instead of yanking them out of the way…   or hmmm, maybe set up a little photo session of my own.  my littles would be happy to pose and the images would look darling hung on their bedroom walls.

sweet dreams . rae . vp +  mom . armommy

how green is the other grass?

i hate to admit it, but despite my attempts to live in the moment, i have a tendency to think that the grass is greener on the other side.  it's not so much the direction of my life that is bothersome {i adore being a wife and mom} but more the "season".  i often think, "it will be so much nicer when...." fill in the blank.  

sometimes it's superficial and i'm day dreaming about how grand my life will be when we live in a home with a playroom {among other things}, my closet is stuffed full of j. crew and hiring a babysitter is a weekly affair {not a, only if your life depends on it and there are no other options, sort of situation}.  however, when i stop to think about it i'm not so sure bigger and better is really better.  i mean, a bigger house just means bigger bills, and more cleaning right?  i also have yet to find a woman that is always satisfied with her wardrobe.  so why am i pining over these things?

other times it has to do with the stages we are in.  for instance, while nursing my children i could hardly wait to be done so someone else could take a turn holding and feeding them.  the problem is that those were the only months of their precious lives that i would have the opportunity to sit with them and just be, or rock, or sing, or pray, or ponder.  not to mention that soon i would discover what i had forgotten after each child which is: a.) bottles are not easier, b.) formula is expensive and c.) i would end up feeding the baby most of the time anyway.  oiy.

although we are done with nursing babies {at least for now} there have been and are other seasons that i am dyeing to get through.  exhibit "A" {below} would be one of them...  

meet espy {3} and his little, tilly {1.5}.  espy is constantly needing interaction and he'll take it anyway he can get it...  giggles or tears and it usually involves that ladder.  however, when this stage is over there will be a lot of things that go with it...

like chubby feet....

and creative scribbles...

and in general, time together with children that are willing to cuddle.

i will undoubtedly miss this "grass".  so, i've been spending a lot of time thinking about the grass on the other side; wondering if it really is greener and asking God how i might be able to change my perspective.  i'm not so sure that i've found the answer {although i know he has one}, but i am trying to trust him more.  trust that i am exactly where he wants me to be, doing what i've been called to do.  that he will bring new adventures and changes when the time is right and that he only has good things in mind for me and my family.

"for i know that plans i have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.

jeremiah 29:11

being a mom is an awesome responsibility and incredible blessing.  sometimes that slips my mind....  so maybe instead of praying for a bigger house, i should ask for some trips to the spa!  i can't think of a downside to that!  LOL.

anyway, not so sure if anyone else can identify, but hopefully it speaks to someone :).  

have a beautiful weekend and mother's day!

xo . rae . vp + mom . ARMOMMY

m a y R E C I P E S

When we first discussed giving me {jane} the responsibility of writing a monthly meal plan for our blog, I was _________.  There is so much to say on the subject of feeding a family.  I have been a life long ‘scratch’ cooker and when the kids were growing up, I was a self taught home economist, so my first thought was to talk about how to be what my mom called thrifty.  Then I thought I should talk about short cuts.  In the end I decided to do what was discussed; a monthly meal plan.

I do want to start with two hints:

{one}

Find ten to fifteen recipes that your family likes and you can afford to cook and make those your basic recipes. You can build around them and make them once a month or so. When you find an item on one of those recipes on sale – stock up!

{two}

Plan!  It seems as though having a week of meals written down and the shopping list made anshopped for is a big task.  And it is.  It will save you so much time and money in the long run it will be worth it.

The list of recipes we came up with for the month has a little bit of everything and is built around what is in season right now in the grocery stores or local market (I think I just snuck in another hint).

Try it out this month and if you like it {we hope it is a huge blessing to you} come back next month for a list of June recipes!  The link is below:

m a y R E C I P E S 

caio . jane . pres + grandma . ARMOMMY