Browsing Category

household management

household management motherhood

the boy’s nursery tour

Back in our rental house, Ames’ room looked pretty similar to his new room. The only difference was the walls. They were electric avocado green, with white beadboard climbing about halfway up. We painted before we knew he was a boy, and it worked. So cute!

We were pleased to discover that part of the building process included a paint package for the new house. After painting almost every room in almost every place we’ve ever lived, we decided to go with a neutral tone for the entire place. Even the closet walls have paint on them, and we didn’t have to lift a finger! Eventually, we’d like to personalize with color (especially some fun wallpaper). But for now, we’re happy just to hang fun things on our tan walls.

Introducing Ames Emmanuel’s nursery!

fedora – thrifted.
letters – decor from our couples’ baby shower.
ultrasound photo – day we discovered he was our son.
crib – the one my parents used with me & my little brother.

blue quilt – knitted by my aunt.
vintage chair – from a friend’s garage.
orange pillows – belonged to my grandmother, Helen Rose.

dresser – matches the crib, from my childhood.
puzzle prints – one was a gift, the other thrifted.
step-stool – thrifted. he stands on it & waves at the driveway when one of us leaves.

basket – for diaper covers.
clock music box – from Christopher’s childhood.

sound machine – Christmas present.
chalkboard – for messages from siblings.

prince of dreamland print – gift boutique.
photo of Chris & I – favorite ever taken. Also in the sisters’ room.
fabric piece – hodge podge of thrifted items & maternity pants.
stuffed bird – souvenir from my best friend’s trip to Chicago.
zephaniah 3:17 print – his verse. Thank you, Stanfields.

mirror – thrifted, painted & antiqued by Chris.
framed invitation –  from a darling tea party baby shower.
Royal Violetas – cologne from a dear Cuban family, for after baths & sick days.

There ya have it! We love the way it turned out. Ames likes it, too!
Top Baby, Daddy & Mommy Blogs on TopBabyBlogs.Com
8 Comments
health & wellness household management motherhood

grocery goodness

Since posting about our chalkboard, I’ve received a few questions regarding our grocery shopping routine. We’re not professionals, by any means. We’re just trying to eat healthy & buy smart.
Before our grocery trips, we take inventory. We open up all of the doors, and I write down what’s currently in our pantry, fridge, & freezer. Then I look through websites & cookbooks, comparing recipes to the list of what we currently have. I try to select meals that require buying only one or two additional items. This usually takes about an hour total.
Our buying system varies, depending on seasons/pregnancies/babies/finances. 
Here’s a little glimpse into a typical winter shopping trip on a very tight budget:
Sticking to the list. We do not vary from the list, no matter how painful. 
Shopping with someone helps with accountability!
No catering to the little ones. We cannot afford the cost (or trash) of individually-packaged toddler foods. Our kids eat what we eat, even at an early age. These animal crackers can be enjoyed by everyone, and the big tub is great for customizable serving sizes.
Buying it frozen. We are blessed to have three farmers’ markets within as many miles. There is nothing like fresh, local produce! During the winter months, though, frozen is a good alternative. The crops are harvested when ready, making them more nutrient-rich. And we’re not throwing out rotten, uneaten veggies at the end of the week.
Keeping it simple. Chris is not too happy about the recent switch… he used to buy individual (read: fancy) ingredients and make a huge salad to keep in the fridge. It was delicious, but we often threw out brown lettuce and soggy toppings. Right now, less is more. We buy just enough for one or two meals, and no toppings.
No filling the cart. If we must balance & stack items to keep everything in, then we’re not sticking to the list. If we’ve forgotten to check the remaining amount of a staple item at home, we don’t buy it this trip. We’ll be back next week – same time, same place.
TOTAL SPENT: $69.61
We successfully fed two adults and three kids all week long on this amount.  Dinners consisted of shrimp & grits, spaghetti, and beans & rice. We also ate breakfasts and lunches at home. It’s not gourmet and it’s not always exciting, but we get it done. This is an ever-evolving process for us, and I love to learn… please feel free to share your tips!
Vote For Us @ TopBaby Blogs! The Best Baby Blog Directory
18 Comments
community household management motherhood

reader questions

WHAT SORT OF SUSHI DO YOU LIKE?


I am so thankful to be the permanent dinner companion to a man who thinks like me. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! While we love trying different foods and are always up for a new restaurant, we tend to find ourselves at the same restaurant for each & every date night – RuSan’s! I could probably eat sushi every day for the rest of my life and never get tired of it.

I always order the same two things – a cucumber salad & a roll called, “America Re-Rising.” The salad is a mixture of cucumber, crabmeat, sesame seeds, and some type of magic sauce. I have been known to drink the dressing, even after the cucumber is gone. My beloved sushi roll consists of sea bass, cucumber, and carrot. It’s wrapped in macadamia nuts, flash-fried, and set up like a tower on a rice ball wrapped in seaweed paper. Beneath it lies a delicious flag, made up of different sauces.

This photo is three years old, taken on my twenty-second birthday.
I’ve loved RuSan’s Ameria Re-Rising since high school!

AMES’ NAME…


My son is named after my grandfather, Kenneth Ames.

A French version of the biblical Amos, it means friend. Ames is a popular last name up in the New England area, which is where that side of my family originates.

[Side note: I’ve got a genealogy tree, thanks to my grandfather, with families dating back to the Plymouth Rock & Mayflower!]

Ames is pronounced just like “James,” without the J. People often mispronounce it for “Amos,” an issue I never anticipated but do not mind.

Keep the questions coming…
Formspring or email letterstoames at gmail dot com!
4 Comments
household management motherhood

a resolution in progress

Believe it or not, I actually made a few new year’s resolutions this year.
I usually avoid this type of thing, as I tend to be uptight and pretty hard on myself.
This year, I let myself dream big for 2011 and even verbalized a few goals to Christopher.
One of my resolutions: to use our kitchen chalkboard more.
Only a few weeks in, but so far so good!

I’ve been updating it with a menu and a list of the boys’ commissions for the week. We don’t give allowances, thanks to Dave Ramsey. Instead, Lucas & Avery earn money based on the contributions they make. Only a few chores stay on the list week after week. Otherwise, they enjoy a fresh set each Monday!

 Because none of the chores are imperative, there’s no pressure. It’s no big deal if beds go unmade. Papa Bear will take the trash out if Avery doesn’t, and only Lucas suffers if he doesn’t take extra time on his homework. They’re not obligated to perform, and we’re not obligated to pay them. The kids love it. They often ask if there’s anything they can do for extra commissions, which is where the child slave labor comes in – please & thank you! Sometimes, they ask us to take them out for a treat instead of paying them cash. Family memories in the making = priceless.


Keeping a public menu holds us accountable with cooking & grocery shopping. The kids know what to expect, and we don’t swing open the refrigerator doors & stress out at 5pm. The new grocery goal is to shop weekly and keep our bill under $100 per trip. So far, so good; and we still manage to shop natural & organic. And to think – we’re about to grow from a family of five to a family of seven… yikes! I find this meal planner from Real Simple to be very helpful. I’m certainly no fancy cook… that’s the husband’s secret talent. But I’m trying my best, and it helps that I’m learning on the fly with a houseful of boys – big appetites & lots of grace!

Click twice to keep us ranked, y’all! Thanks <3
Vote For Us @ topbabyblogs.com!

3 Comments
fashion health & wellness household management motherhood

cloth diaper tutorial update

Almost a year ago, I posted a Kincaid family cloth diaper tutorial. We were only months into it at the time, and I was neck-deep. I dabbled in a little bit of everything, as I didn’t want to miss anything that might make it easier or cheaper or more fun. Since then, I’ve had lots of people ask me what we’re doing diaper-wise on a regular basis. I wanted to update you, so here it is!

We’ve simplified significantly. I was all about the giveaways & random internet deals back then, and I don’t regret it. We tried literally EVERYTHING: all-in-ones, all-in-two’s, pockets, fitteds, prefolds, & flats. [Note: to learn about the different types, refer back to my tutorial post]. We honestly didn’t find a diaper we didn’t like. I will say Blueberry & Fuzzibunz did not fit Ames well, as he is small-for-age & had pretty skinny legs up until recently. At around seven months, we pared down our stash and sold off a bunch of fluff – cloth has excellent resale value!
We still use a few random diapers of old in our current stash. For example, Ames sleeps through the night in a bumGenius 3.0, stuffed with two microfiber inserts. I must say this is the stinkiest part of our system, and we’re probably eliminating it soon. We’re also keeping the few AppleCheeks & Softbums we have. They’re soft & easy, and Lucas is proficient with them. After battling ammonia issues, though, we’ve settled on a simpler diaper system & a simpler wash routine. Natural fibers + Tide detergent = success!
Here’s what we’re currently doing with Ames’ bum:
PREFOLDS
FLATS (I don’t like ’em; Chris is a folding wizard)
SNAPPIS (to fasten the prefolds/flats)

FITTEDS

COVERS (wool & PUL)

DIAPER SPRAYER

WETBAGS
 Here are some of my favorite brands:
There you have it! 
Hope this encourages some of you to consider the fluffy life!

Click To Vote For Us @ the Top Baby Blogs Directory! The most popular baby blogs
4 Comments
fashion health & wellness household management motherhood

spoiling twin girls…

Last pregnancy, I prided myself on being thrifty when it came to baby gear. Regardless of the fact that we’re always on a tight budget, I love a good deal. I enjoy consignment shopping. My favorite part is digging through bargain bins and finding treasures that someone else overlooked. I feel powerful after stumbling upon a barely-used piece of gear. What can I say, I wanna stick it to the man! 
Quick rundown of expenditures for Ames:
Furniture – My parents gave us my old crib & dresser for his nursery. A friend lent us a moses basket with a cradle rocker for the newborn stage. So his sleeping arrangements were free.
Diapering – Bought from Craigslist, DiaperSwappers, & LiveJournal. I  think I spent around $500 total. It’s possible to diaper from birth to potty-training for $100, but I liked shopping for cute ones.
Food – Breastmilk is free, but it certainly is hard work!
Carseat – Chicco KeyFit for free from CharlotteMommies. I spent $75 on a new cover & accessories.
Stroller/Transportation – Didn’t use a stroller at first. We scored a Chicco umbrella stroller on sale this summer for $40. If you’re into babywearing, you’ll be proud of the deals I landed. We got a Maya ring sling (worth $66) for $15 at a YMCA rummage sale, a used BabyHawk (worth $80) for $40 from another mama. We found several other pouch slings from consignment shops and received a Moby Wrap as a gift.
We didn’t drop a thousands of dollars on beautiful cribs and strollers that drive themselves, though I would have loved to have those! It really isn’t hard to save money when getting ready for a baby. All it takes is a sense of thrift, some discipline, & a little elbow grease. Oh, and it helps to be internet-savvy! I’ve become proficient at sites like BabyHalfOff and forums where moms post “In-Search-Of” & “I Have to Offer” lists.
That being said, the impending birth of an opposite gender + DOUBLE THE BABY makes for a very wishful mama. Here’s what I have my eye on this time around. I feel overly-indulgent for even window shopping, but I can’t help it! I even started a list of drool-worthy items on Wishpot.
Furniture – Chris & I recently fell in love with these mini-cribs by Da Vinci. They even convert to twin beds, so the girls will be set for years to come!
Diapering – In a world of tacky & shoddy diaper bags, my green Puma bowling bag has been faithful.
That being said, I’ve always wanted a Petunia Picklebottom Boxy Backpack.
My favorite print is “Afternoon in Aberdeen.”
Food – My Medela Pump-in-Style’s motor gave out right at the end of Ames’ nursing career. It had already been through two of my friend’s kids, though. I’m impressed! I’d love this Medela Freestyle pump for the twins. Lord knows I’m gonna need a good workhorse of a machine!
Stroller – I get dizzy just thinking about pushing three kids around! Thank goodness for the big boys. They’re so stinkin’ helpful. We’re in need of a double stroller that seats two older babies, but with the double infant-seat option. That way, we wear one twin and put the other one + Ames in the stroller. Or Ames can go one of us, and the twins will ride in the stroller. Some even have an accessory for a third seat. Lastly, I need it to collapse easily and quickly. Are you dizzy now? There aren’t a whole lot of options out there, but I’ve heard raving twin-mom reviews about Mountain Buggy & ValcoBaby.
This Mountain Buggy is on sale right now for several hundred dollars off – definitely tempting! A third kid can ride on the back with a Kiddie Board accessory.
This ValcoBaby actually allows for FOUR kids to ride. In addition to the somewhat creepy and totally awesome toddler jump seat, another toddler can stand on the back.
I’m a little apprehensive about the side-by-side double strollers. I like the ones that maintain the width of a single. We’ll probably end up getting this Chicco Cortina Together, because it’s more reasonably priced. And our infant seats click in without any attachments! Easy-breezy!
Regardless, I don’t think we’ll buy one until the twins arrive. That way, we can get an idea of exactly what we want & need. I have a feeling there aren’t going to be a lot of trips out of the house with just one parent! Chris said not to worry about him. Apparently, his plan is to hit up the grocery store wearing one twin, with the other twin on Lucas, & Ames in the cart. Oh, the mental pictures!
It is fun to daydream about buying all of this gear! For now, though, I’ll keep scouring the internet for cloth diaper & babywearing deals. The rest of the stuff we’ll just figure out as we go along…
Vote For Us @ topbabyblogs.com!
12 Comments
household management marriage

the sweetest thing.

In all of our living situations, we’ve put money towards the most functional rooms first. Often times, our bedroom remains as four walls with a bed and a dresser for months. This move was no exception. I was not in a hurry to decorate the master suite because I knew this would be our home for years. I wanted it to be done right, and I was willing to wait until we could spend the money and effort on a quiet Momma/Daddy paradise. We had plenty of time, right?
During Ames’ birth (in our rental house), I relied heavily on the furniture and artwork in my bedroom to help me through contractions. Afterwards, I spent a lot of time snuggled up in my bed and getting to know my new son. It was nice to have curtains hung and flowers on the bedside table. We didn’t have much, but it felt like home.
We finished our new home in May. It was now August, and we found ourselves pregnant again. The master bedroom was e-m-p-t-y, and something needed to be done STAT. I immediately began nesting; but this time, I nested for myself. I needed my bedroom done, and I needed it done in time for this new baby.
We started dreaming and scheming. I got back into the Craigslist swing of things, and I scored a fun iron bed. Chris dragged an eight-foot mirror home from Lucky Brand, and we propped it up against one wall. We painted our next door neighbor’s old shutters (they were throwing them out) and made a fun headboard. We waited for a good Black Friday deal on a Crate & Barrel desk I’ve loved since we got engaged. Of course, my late granddaddy Harley’s red trunk will forever remain a staple piece. And we’re in the market for a comfortable reading chair to put by the corner.
I had the day off and ran some errands this morning. When I returned home, Chris sent me upstairs for some “Momma time.” I thought this was sweet, as was the beautiful winter bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table. I know, I married Mr. Right. But wait, it gets better.
When I walked into our bedroom, my heart leapt. Chris had set up the desk with flowers, my computer, a copy of Real Simple, peanut M&M’s, and my late grandmother Helen’s stool.
He’d added some candles and framed pictures.
He’d also written me the most beautiful card, and he’d sealed it with a wax “K.” 
So formal, so thoughtful. 
In his note, he talked to me about the Father’s love for us, and how He’d blessed us with the opportunity to bring two more lives into the world. He told me he’d been born to make sure I always have a smile on my face. When he writes, I weep. Plain and simple.
I am not scared of anything with this man by my side.
He is my heart. He is my lovesong.

Click To Vote For Us @ Top Baby Blogs Directory!

3 Comments