Big Boy Room Redo

Last week, I gave a little teaser about re-doing our big boys room. Today, I want to share that room, and our DIY headboard's with you.

Before the redo, Beau and Hudson shared a room with Hudson in his full size bed and Beau in his crib.  When we  moved them in together, Hudson's room had a sport's theme and Beau's bedding was simple so we just meshed those two together knowing we would make some adjustments when Beau got out of his crib.

These pictures our from our old house when we first moved their things in together.

In November, we moved back to our home town and into a home that is a three bedroom with a fourth bedroom option in the basement.  Since our boys are so little, the basement bedroom is not something we are using as a bedroom right now, thus, Hudson and Beau are sharing.  

Around the beginning of March, Beau started climbing out of his crib.  We knew that the crib days were over.  Andrew and I went back and forth about what to do.  We weren't sure if we wanted to do bunk beds or two twins.  I don't really love bunk beds and the ones I did like were ridiculously expensive.  I decided on doing two twin beds.  Once we moved those in, I probably had Andrew re-arrange the room at least 10 times.  I just was having trouble finding a configuration I liked that left room for the boys to play in their room if they wanted.  

I scoured Pinterest looking for arrangements.  We were not going to really change their room's theme.  We had decor that we liked.  We did need new bedding.  And I did want to add a few more personal touches.  And of course, headboards.  But like the bunk bed search, I couldn't find a headboard I loved that wasn't expensive.  

Pinterest to the rescue again! I found a couple of options for DIY headboards.  I looked at the tutorials, showed them to Andrew and we came up with a plan to make our boys. 

We decided that we wanted an inch added to either side of the bed so that when the bed was made the headboard would extend to the edge of the comforter on either side.  We also measured from the floor up and decided on a height.  I had the bed made and knew I wanted quite a high headboard so that it was visible above the bed when made with pillows. 

After we got the measurements, Andrew went to get the lumber. It was about $100 for the lumber, nails, screws and stain that we would use for both beds.  Once we put the boys to bed, we set out to work. 

I would say that Andrew followed this plan the closest.  We did make a few changes.

**We used only 1x6 boards.

**We used a spacer between the 1x6 to give it a different look. 

**We made a frame before laying the 1x6s.

     Basically we laid the 1x6x50's out to the width we wanted and attached a board near the base to          hold the 1x6x50s in place. 

**On the frame, we laid the 1x6s and used an air nailer to drive the nail through the front of the board     into the frame.  

**Once built, we detached the stabilizing board at the bottom.

**I filled the nail holes with wood filler, let it dry, then sanded and wiped down before staining.

The entire project for TWO headboards took about three hours {that includes cutting, assembling and staining}. 

The next day we attached the headboards to the boys' beds.  We added some new decor, hung their curtains {FINALLY!} and called it a day! We LOVE how their room turned out.

I am thrilled to have their room complete.  I still would like to add something either over their headboards or over the dresser.  There is a lot of dead space there.  I've thought of adding a photo of each of the boys above their beds in black and white.  Across from their beds they have a collage of wooden sports signs {below} so I feel like it needs to have a more personal element. 

What would you do?

Sources

Dresser: given to us, painted and updated knobs

Boys' bedding: Bed, Bath and Beyond

Lamp: Pottery Barn Kids 

Shade: Pottery Barn Kids

Metal Initial Letters: Hobby Lobby

Basket with baseballs: Hobby Lobby

Curtains: Target

Weekend Recap

This weekend went by so quickly! It was a really full, FUN weekend. Those always go too fast!

Friday
Andrew and I were going to go on a little date since he had been out of town all week but that plan fell through.  We ended up spending some time with the boys outside.  It had been really crummy weather all week and still was but our boys needed some fresh air.  So between dinner and baths we cruised around in the drive way!

I seriously die over how silly and different each of my boys are!

After we put the boys to bed, Andrew and I watched Whiplash.  Have y'all seen it? It has some pretty intense language but I really liked the story.  If you've seen it, I want to know you're thoughts on the ending. 

Saturday

I knew Saturday was going to be a busy day so I woke up early and got my work out in.  Officially completing week 1 of p90x3.  I am not an early morning workout girl but once I got started I felt really good. 

Since everyone was still sleeping I went ahead and got a few chores done and made the boys blueberry muffins and Andrew and I some eggs with spinach and turkey. 

After breakfast, I did a few more chores and then got myself ready.  Saturday was Super Saturday in Beachbody world.  Every quarter we get together with other local coaches to grow and learn.  I absolutely love these days.  I met with some of my local team and friends and we carpooled over to the event. It definitely didn't disappoint. 

After the event, I stopped by home to check in with my boys.  They were still in their pjs and were playing super heroes with Andrew. Ha! They love "guys days" and I love watching Andrew be a great dad to all three.  I know how blessed I am that he loves spending time with our kids and can totally rock the day even if I'm gone! I helped him prep some dinner and then headed out again.

A friend of mine was having a girls' night at her house.  I can't remember a night where I have laughed so hard in a really long time.  I was reminded of how blessed I am to have Godly women in my life.  I am so thankful for the strong women in my life.  Apparently there were photos taken on Snapchat (?). Call me old but I am not on that site. So I have nothing to show for the evening. 

Sunday

Sunday mornings are always busy.  With five people needing breakfast and to get ready for church we don't have to rush too much but it is still a little hectic.  

I am in charge of teaching the preschool room at our church so I got there to get things ready.  We were talking about Heaven this week and there is nothing more beautiful than watching the eyes' of my kiddos "get it" when we talk about who Jesus is! <3

After church a big group of us headed to Mexican.  There were 14 adults, our three boys, and 4 other kiddos. You'd think that would be a disaster but they all did SO GOOD!! We love our Sunday lunch tradition.  And actually, I think our boys love it the most because they are always asking everyone where we are going after church.  I think they help get the ball rolling most weeks! Ha!

Stole this from my sweet friend Tessa. Her hubby (Hud's Godfather)

When we got home the boys went down for nap and this mama made a quick run to the grocery store.  When I got home I put groceries away and got things all prepped while Andrew mowed.  Then we took the boys outside to play awhile before dinner.  

Still stuffed from lunch, I cleaned up the kitchen and then left Andrew with the boys and went on a run.  It was such a beautiful day (FINALLY!) and wanted to make the most of it! 

4.5 miles complete

I got home and Andrew and I switched.  He went for a long run and I snuggled with the boys and then put them to bed.

It was another great weekend here! It reminded me of all I have to be thankful for!

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!! My big two had a sleepover with Gammy and are having a day of fun so I am being uber productive..or at least that's the plan!

{O N E}
Teaser ALERT! Hudson and Beau have been sharing a room for about a year now.  A couple of months ago, we got up one morning to go to church and Andrew ran smack into Beau.  Because he was up.  Because he had climbed out of his crib! {Not good.} So we got the boys twin beds {Hudson's original big boy bed was a full size} and I have been pouring over shared big boy room ideas since.  I FINALLY found something I liked that would work with a lot of their current decor plus bedding but no headboards.  So Andrew and I built them one evening.  Yes-- one evening! I'll post next week the tutorial and room reveal!

{T W O}
Starting in December I noticed that my face seemed to be breaking out for no rhyme or reason.  For me, this is highly unusual.  I never struggled with acne or breakouts, hadn't changed my diet or my skin routine and was stumped as to what to do.  Fast forward to now, I wasn't seeing my skin get any better so I made me first ever appointment with the dermatologist.  Apparently, being pregnant and/or nursing for the past 5 years did a number on me and my skin and oh yeah, I'm old now.

Anyway- I have been using Cera Ve products as my body lotion for awhile now and LOVE IT! I use it on my boys' insanely dry, sensitive skin too.  My dermatologist introduced me to their facial line.  Y'all, check it out! They have a daytime and nighttime moisturizer and a facial cleanser.

{T H R E E}

I love these shorts! I feel like you can dress them up or down.  They come in so many colors and patterns! I am updating my summer wardrobe since I got rid of a lot when I first lost weight, and then got pregnant the following summer.  My wardrobe is in major need of an overhaul. 

{F O U R}

This is a Friday un-favorite. If you haven't watched last night's Grey's scroll on down.  I have been a faithful Grey's watcher from day one.  That's a lot of life invested into a show.  Like 10 seasons or something.  I have put up with some of my favorites being taken: Lexi, McSteamy, even Cristina.  But Derek?? McDreamy?? Really, Shonda?? I just don't really know where you are going to go from here.  Not cool.  

{F I V E}

I re-started one of my favorite workouts this week, P90x3. I did this workout last year right when I found out I was pregnant.  It is intense and effective and I love that it is 30 minutes! I really need to tone up my midsection and get ready for summer since we have a beach vacation coming up.  This is doing it! Down 4 pounds already this week! Wahoo for progress!

Have a great Friday and awesome weekend!

Linking up with Karli, April, and Andrea today!

Throwback

Over two years ago, I was heading back to work after having my second baby via c-section and having gall bladder removal surgery (just three weeks after baby..yeah, no bueno). I was really self-conscious about my body, none of my clothes fit, and I was just plain depressed.

Now, you must know, I was a girl all about a quick fix. I had been trying pills, shakes, diets since high school.  Nothing ever worked.

I had seen several posts from a friend while pregnant. She was working it OUT and looking fabulous.  I mustered up some courage to message her and see what she was doing.  She told me about an at home workout program and Shakeology.  The workout seemed great.  It looked really fun and I felt like it might actually, FINALLY be something I could do but Shake-what?? I had tried shakes.  They never worked. I told my friend, thanks but no thanks.  Well, this friend convinced me to try.  And of course, I caved.  Because y'all know that feeling when you're desperate you will try anything!

Well Shakeology has been in my pantry every day since.  I was wrong. It wasn't like the other shakes I tried.  It did work.  And now, two years later, I still drink it.  I believe in the product with my whole heart.  So much so that I will recommend it to others.  That I carry samples for others to try. For real.

Let me tell why Shakeology changed my mind.

Shakeology is way more than any other shake.
It has over 70 ingredients.  It has nutrients my body needs and craves.  I noticed not only a difference in my waistline over time, but my energy levels went up; my skin and hair looked better; I slept better. And, for the first time since my gallbladder surgery, my digestion seemed to be better.  Talk about a victory!

Shakeology was safe for me to drink while nursing (and while pregnant!).
I was a nursing mom when I first began my workout and Shakeology.  I had a two month old.  When I looked through the ingredients and checked with my doctor, I got the green light.  There weren't fillers, artificial sweeteners, or other junk in this shake. I loved that I was getting what my body needed and was passing that on to my son as well.  When I got pregnant with my third, my OB also gave me the green light.  She loved that I was doing something so good for my body.  And, I had the healthiest pregnancy out of the three. Not always the case as you have more kids.

Shakeology helped me overcome my sugar addiction.
I love sweets, y'all. I could find a reason to have dessert or celebratory sweet every day.  Multiple times a day.  And even though I had tried in the past, I had never been able to really overcome my sweet addiction.  It would derail any and all efforts I made.  When I began drinking Shakeology, I noticed my cravings for sugar began to diminish.  I swear by chocolate.  Each day, I felt like I got my chocolate fix.  And if I wanted to make my shake "sweeter" there were tons of decadent recipes that were still healthy and would keep me on track.

Shakeology saved me money.
Wait--what?? You may have heard that ShakeO is expensive.  But when I looked at what it cost per serving, it was spending more making another meal.  My monthly bag of Shakeology takes care of a whole months worth of meals for me.  I noticed that our grocery bill started to be less.  Not only because Shakeology was replacing a meal, but because it was taking care of cravings.  So junk I was buying before--not anymore.  Processed snacks for the kids? They were eating healthier stuff too! They even requested my "milkshake" for snacks! So the money I was saving on groceries went to Shakeology. Win-win!

I am really thankful for this product.  Yes, I'm a coach.  No, I'm not a salesperson.  I just love sharing things I love. Nail polish, recipes, book reviews. This is the same thing. I'd be silly not to share it with you! ;) Thanks for indulging me today!



***If you are interested in trying it, I would love to get some samples your way. Just leave a comment and I will connect with you. 

8 Months

I started this blog when Beau was a baby.  Our family was going to be moving and I wanted a way to share with friends and family more of what we were doing (or so that was my plan).  I also wanted a place that documented our family as we grew. A virtual scrapbook.

One of my very first posts was Beau's 8 month update (you can check it out here).

Well, my intentions were to do a monthly update for Gabe each month.  But we all know what they say about intentions. Everyone's got one and-- wait, that's opinions.  ;) I kind of feel like intentions and opinions are similar in that sense!

So here we are. Eight months has passed since we met Gabe face to face.  I can't believe how fast the time has gone.  Life with three is definitely hectic and sometimes I feel guilty for not having as much one on one time with Gabe. But I also know that he came at just the right time. God knew our family was missing our next piece and I am blessed every day being his mama!

Sleep: You are great sleeper Gabe.  You take a morning nap and afternoon nap each day.  You typically sleep an hour and a half or more each nap.  You also sleep through the night (typically). As you are learning new things and getting more teeth, you wake and need some soothing but honestly you've always been the best about going right back to sleep even after waking! You go down for the night between 7:15-7:30 (sometimes later if we are having fun) and you wake for the day around 7:00 the next morning. You love your crib and your lovey.  You don't mind being held for your  naps if we are out and about.  It still amazes me that you can put yourself to sleep without a paci or sucking your thumb.

Food: You took to food like a champ.  At six months we introduced it all to you; oatmeal, veggies and fruits.  You love mixes the most it seems like; whether it's a variety of veggies, fruits, or the two combined.  The only foods you don't seem to favor are peas (by themselves), carrots, or pumpkin. You eat a TON. You typically have a jar of fruit with oatmeal for breakfast, a big jar of fruit/veggie mix or one of each for lunch, and two jars with a little oatmeal for dinner.  You also have 4 bottles a day; upon waking, before nap, after lunch, and before bed.  Sometimes you have a snack bottle after your nap before dinner.  I don't think it will be long before we start to give you table foods so you can begin to feed yourself some.  You seem very intrigued.

Social: You are the happiest guy.  You are always content and in a good mood.  If you are tired or hungry, you get cranky but you really go with the flow.  I don't know if that is just your disposition or because you don't have much of a choice with two big brothers.  You are quick to offer a smile.  You love to crawl (army scoot) to things that interest you.  You are hard to keep contained.  Being outdoors is one of your favorites.  You love long walks where you can watch the world around you.  You also love playing with your brothers and they sure love to make you laugh!

Milestones: You started scooting this month. You get up on your hands and knees and rock but no traditional crawling.  You also finally got both top teeth to come in making the total 4.  I think you are working on some more.  (The teething never ends!) You also seem to get really sad if you are in a room by yourself (like if I walk to the kitchen out of your view for a moment).

We love you so much Gabe! Couldn't imagine our family without you!

Peace out, diapers!

As much as I wish I was saying good-bye to ALL diapers, that is not my reality.  But two in diapers? That nonsense had to stop.

Hudson potty trained right after his second birthday.  He had all kinds of signs that he was ready plus he was waking up in the morning with a dry diaper.  DRY, people!!! Within just a week he was fully trained and we were back to just one in diapers.

When Beau turned two, there was no way I was about to tackle potty training him. Gabe was just a couple of months old, we had just moved and there weren't any real concrete signs that he was ready.  I knew that pushing him to do something when he wasn't ready would only make it a nightmare for me and a very not fun environment for everyone else.

I wasn't really sure when we would start potty training Beau but he started to show some signs and I thought, "now or never".

The Tuesday after Easter is when I decided to begin.  Why Tuesday and not Monday? I don't really know. But, Tuesday is a preschool day which means our mornings are hectic and Andrew left that morning to go out of town.  So my timing could not have been worse better! Ha!

I know there are a lot of theories and ways to potty train.  For me, once we decide to ditch the diapers, they are gone.  It is right into underwear full time.  No pull-ups, diapers, nothing! 

The first day (or two depending on how it goes) I set up camp on our hardwood with the little potty. I have all kinds of activities to keep Beau occupied in there and he is in his underwear. (Hudson we trained pantless the first day and that worked like a charm!) I gave Beau tons of liquids to make sure there were ample opportunities to use the potty.  I set the timer and every 15 minutes we took a break to try to potty.  

The kid did great! The first two days there were only two accidents--both when I went to feed Gabe and put him down.  

He only woke up wet once that first week and has only had one nighttime accident since. (I attribute that to us eating dinner much later and him have fluids much closer to bedtime). 

We have had an accident or two in the weeks since our training week but I feel like Beau is officially trained! It feels great to have only one in diapers.  

When did you potty train your kiddos? What methods worked for you? 

Easter

How was Easter already weeks ago??

The days seem to be flying by and I can't keep up with it all. But I want to remember it all. Every day my older two are saying the funniest things.  Their relationship becoming stronger.  Gabe growing and changing each day, still my baby, but getting so big. He watches Hudson and Beau and I know it won't be long before he is in on the action.

This Easter was such a fun time. It was jam packed with family and friends but I am realizing that I love it that way. That I relish the days filled to the brim with because I know my kids will only be little so long; that these activities will only make their eyes light up this way for a period of time.

Andrew had Good Friday off.  That day we headed to a nearby outlet mall to pick up some spring clothes for our boys, some Easter attire for Mom and Dad, and just get out of the  house.  It was a dreary day but we made the best of it.  We stopped to have lunch at an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and candy shop.  The boys thought it was cool and each picked out a goodie before we headed home.

That night I got to meet up with three of my best friends.  Between us we have eleven kids and my sweet friend is expecting twins due September so there will be lucky 13 soon enough! It isn't easy always trying to find a time to get together but a few years ago we started getting pedicures before Easter together.  This year, in the hustle of life and schedules, we carved out some much needed time.  It was so great to catch up, have some wine and laugh while we got cute toes ready for Sunday!

Saturday our crew headed over to my brother-in-law's. He and his family moved at the beginning of the year and we were so excited to see their new home.  And, we were celebrating my niece's 4th birthday! I don't think there is anything better than seeing your kids' faces light up when they see their cousins!! My boys may have been surrounded by girl toys but give them a party and they are in heaven!

Right after the party, my nieces (also 4 and 2) my boys, and my sister-in-law's younger sisters all gathered up to dye about 8 dozen eggs! There were only two minor spills and it wasn't even from the two-year olds!! They were way more into it this year than last!!

Later that night, we had what might be my new favorite Easter tradition.  Our good friends, who live just streets over, came down with their kids.  When it got dark, we had a glow in the dark Easter egg hunt for them and then made peep s'mores.  I wish I would have thought to take pictures but the sound of their laughter and their sweet faces eating s'mores--oh my gosh! Heaven!  It was definitely a late night but completely worth it!

The next morning our boys opened their Easter baskets.  They know they are from Andrew and I.  We have never done the Easter Bunny and don't plan to. It is something we feel like isn't necessary and we love that our boys are really understanding the meaning of Easter.

(That's a basket of clean, folded laundry, y'all. Don't judge!)

We got ready for church after that and headed out.  We had to get to church early.  It was my first week as the preschool leader.  Our church actually was  holding one service at a larger venue.  It was an amazing service (from what I was told) and we filled the place to capacity. Praise Jesus! It was a really amazing day.  I got to share the Resurrection story with 17 sweet hearts and that made my heart want to bust!!

After church we headed to Grandma Martha's for lunch and an egg hunt! My boys got gobs of eggs! Their sweet little outfits picking up eggs was just too cute!!

We headed across town (and got in quick cat naps) to my grandma's house for another egg hunt with my side of the family! (With a dead camera)

To say we were tuckered out as we headed home at six that evening would be an understatement! But like I said, I couldn't imagine a better weekend!