Why do all the work for someone else to enjoy?

The time has come once again, spring cleaning!

Can you really call it spring cleaning in the first week of February?  

Well, that's what I'm calling it I guess.  Early spring cleaning.

I was browsing around on Pintrest the other night and I came across something that really made sense.  Over at Clover Lane she was telling her readers how she does her spring cleaning.  She said she puts herself in the shoes of a buyer.  Acting like she is buying her own house.  She came up with her method when her family was selling their last two houses.  Here is the part that is like slap you in the face, uh duh....

"I learned this: It's super super annoying to have to do all those little things you procrastinated for years, for SOMEONE ELSE! My houses never looked so good as when they were ready to be put on the market. This really annoyed me. And I vowed it would never ever happen again. (I'm just kidding on that last sentence...I'm really not that dramatic about something so trivial.)"

- Clover Lane

Told you.

I don't think that I can be quite as awesome as she is, but at least she left bread crumbs down the path. 

Her spring cleaning post is pretty darn good, I don't have the kind of time to stretch this out in a master list for a year.  I kinda need to be done by Tuesday, but still awesome motivation, and great tips/ pointers.

Yesterday I started in on my kitchen.  I got these wine glass racks for Christmas from my in-laws (Thanks!) and I was getting ready to make an improvement and get 'em hung up.

Well, of course the place where I was going to hang them didn't work out as I planned so I moved on to plan B, which I am actually much happier with.

Ohh, isn't it so pretty!?!

Originally I was going to put them in the underside of the cupboard they are now above.

I am much happier with this because the wine bottles now have their own place too!  And I keep some oh so valuable cupboard space.  I decided to move my coffee mugs over in that space.  My other cupboard where we usually keep the glasses is overflowing.  So it was nice to free up some space in there as well.

Probably the best part is, that moving the wine glasses up there forced me to clean the top of that cupboard.  It was beyond gross.  I had a lot of vases on top of it and other things all along the top of all the cupboards.  For quite some time now I would look up there and know I needed to clean up there, but who really wants to do that.  NO ONE, only Monica from Friends. ;)  You can't just clean the top of one, so I took everything down and cleaned across them all.  

A serious improvement over decor items that were almost black with dust.

Then as I started to clean all the things that were on top of there, I realized that I hadn't taken down a vase to use since I put them up there.  

When we moved in.

Three & a half years ago.

HERE'S YOUR SIGN!

So I packed them up, all except for one.

They will be off to find a new home.

I also realized what a pain in the rear it was to clean anything that was sitting up there.  So no more of that.  Only my wine glasses (that will get enough use and will not go forgotten about, trust me) and one pretty little pitcher.  I also put sheets of wax paper on the top of each cupboard, 3 1/2 years from now this process will be a whole lot easier. ;)  

Happy Birthday Levi!

Last weekend we celebrated Levi's 2nd, birthday.  Today is his actual birthday so I thought today would be the perfect day to blog about his party.  Well to start with nothing was going right, first Avery was sick, Levi had a cough, and then Avery gave me whatever it was that she had.  At first I didn't know how I was going to pull it off.  But I did, and I think everyone especially Levi had a good time.

First we opened gifts.  Levi is definitely turning into the typical little kid, tearing the paper open and before he even see's whats inside moving onto the next.  But after a few gifts he started rubbing his eyes and it looked like he was gonna fall asleep before he could finish.  It was really too cute.  

After a little play time with his new toys there was a knock at the door.

ELMO!  Elmo heard it was Levi's birthday and stopped in to say Happy Birthday!

Poor Elmo he must have had a rough journey to our house, he looks a little run down. ;)  And I'm afraid it didn't get much better for Elmo, all the kids were afraid of  him!

  

Avery held Elmo at gunpoint to make sure he behaved himself.

Levi watched as big sissy sat with Elmo but he still wasn't convinced.

Nope, baby Marshall wasn't liking Elmo either.

Ian proved to all the little's that it was okay, see Elmo is nice.

Vera even took at turn.

That all just wasn't enough for Levi, he was not happy that Elmo showed up to crash his party.  So we sent Elmo packing, back to Sesame Street for you Elmo.

On to happier things like cake!  Levi got a great view of his cake from Papa.

All he wanted was the toy on top.

Good food, good cake, great friends & family to celebrate our little man's 2nd birthday, what more could you ask for.

I guess a few more licks of frosting when you think no one is watching.

Whew, until next year.....

My (baby) is 2!

Well first he's not two yet, and I guess if he's gonna be two he's not really a baby.

I say things to Avery like, he's just a baby he doesn't understand, or "Avery, I'm going to put the baby down for a nap".  Every Mom says no matter how old you are you will always be my baby but now that he is approaching 2 years old it really hit me how much I call him my baby or the baby.  Avery promptly corrects me if I affectionately call her my baby, but my little Levi still let's me so I will as long as he does.

Here are my baby Levi's 2 year pictures that I took the other day, thanks to a friend who let me use her photography space, big, huge thanks to her!

2013

When the new year comes most people make their new year resolutions, and I am no different.  This year I thought about it for a while though.  I wanted not to just say I want to lose weight, and keep my house clean and organize our storage room (yikes) but I was thinking about things that would make me happy.  While if I actually accomplished the above ideas I would be happy but I would be happier if the things I tried to do really made me truly happy on the inside, not just the outside.  So here is my new year resolution list.

Feel good in the cloths I am in, & embrace my inner fashionista!

Yea, I know that sounds a lot like losing weight but it is more about feeling good about my self in the cloths that I wear.  I have been struggling for a while with dressing for my mid 20's (before you laugh...) because I feel like some things are too old, and some cloths are too young.  I feel like it's hard to find exactly what I'm looking for. But along with feeling good in my cloths I want to jump out of the box more, and not say I can't wear skinny jeans cuz I'm too short, or I can't wear colored pants cuz I'm a Mom, try everything (without spending a million dollars either) because you don't know if you don't try.

Blog MORE!

I really want to try to dedicate more time to blogging.  At first when the hubs started this blog I was scared to post to it.  It took me a while to give it a try, and what happened when I did.... I liked it!  I admire those blogs that have "Pintrest Friday" and "Wordless Wednesdays" or "Recipe Tuesday" I want to try to amp it up over here at Life with the Z's, because I have found that I really enjoy it!

Get better at Birthday Cards, Anniversary Cards, & Thank You Cards!

I stink at this!  Like pathetically bad, especially for a lady that stamps her own cards...  When I get cards in the mail from people who thought of me for my birthday or our anniversary it makes me feel good, and I want to pass that feel good on to the people I love and care about in my life.

Actually finish something!

Hmm, I could take up pages of a note book of all the started projects.  To name a few, a gutted piano sitting in my living room, felt busy books for the kids that have lots of pieces cut but nothing sewn together, ton's of cloths for the kids that I want to repurpose into something new,  digital scrapbooking, and real life scrapbooking.... you get the idea.  I really want to try and get some of these things done so instead of having grand ideas, I have awesome finished projects. :)

Continue to OWN IT as a stay at home Mom!

There are times that it is easy to get caught up in the idea that all I do is clean up after everyone (lets be clear, my house is not spotless, it's not that I spend every waking moment cleaning up after people but if your a Mom you know what I mean) or make dinner, or wash cloths.  And It is true that all of those are part of what I do, it is hard to not think of yourself as a maid (okay, maybe a little dramatic but really...) and that you don't hold any important job.  I struggled with that a whole lot my first year home, I was used to making money, making people feel beautiful after they stopped in at my stylist chair, and it was a hard transition.  But more and more I have learned that I am doing the most important thing that I can't be doing right now for my husband and kids.

I'm a wanna be photographer!

True.  I wish I could spend lots of money on fancy photography equipment and spend more time learning and experimenting with photography.  That's not real life for me, but I do want to keep learning and experimenting when I have time, because I have found a new love for it over the past few years and I want to keep it up.  Who know's maybe one day down the road it will turn into something more.

Bring myself closer to the Word of God!

In the last couple years there have been some changes in my life that I could not have made it through with out the Word of God.  I find myself leaning on God almost every single day, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  I want to continue to grow my relationship with God, and to learn more of the truths He has for me.

That's it, not too hard right?!  

Alright, I'm off to try on new cloths, send out a birthday card, finish sewing something, while reading my Bible, then take a pictures of it and shout from my roof, hey I am a stay at home Mom, and then I'll be back to blog about it, OK?!?!

Cheers to 2013!!!

Winter Wonderland

Last week Levi and I traveled to WY to see his first cousin and my first nephew Corban!  We just barley made it out of WI and the snow started coming down like crazy.  We're talking serious snow!  Adam sent me some picture messages of the craziness going on back home but when I got to see it myself on our drive to church Christmas day it was really beautiful to look at.  The last huge snow storm we had here was when Mr.Levi was born.  And with a newborn I wasn't exactly up for taking in the sights of snow.  The way the snow collected on the trees and covered everything with sparkling beauty in white made me want to get out my camera and go for a drive.  So that is just what I did this last Sunday.

Hope you enjoy this photos of our winter wonderland in WI!