Embracing the Quiet Box

As I mentioned earlier this week, we've hit a hard spot with sleep recently. I don't get a lot of sympathy on this matter because, well, Ada's four. It's expected that the nap is going to disappear eventually. Kids get up early. Kids don't want to sleep, etc. But -- I mean, c'mon. When you're in a good rhythm and -- all of a sudden -- the morning, noon, and night changes all at once? It sucks!

According to BabyCenter, children age four need between 11-12 hours of sleep each day. It might be divided into 9 to 12 hours of nighttime sleep and between 0-2.5 hours of nap. Of course, these are averages and suggestions. There's no set standard. Knowing that Ada needs 2-3 fewer hours of sleep than she did last year does help me feel better about the change.

But I'm still not cool with losing my me-time. Right? After all, I'm pregnant. I've been particularly exhausted lately. I work from home primarily during preschool and nap times and before wakeup/after bed times. And I know I will soon have a newborn, so we all need all the rest we can get.

I had looked up quiet time boxes on Pinterest back when Ada was two. She had a nap strike back then and I thought it was all over.  

(Side note: First-time moms of younger kids + tots -- don't give up on the nap so easily! All kids are different, and -- yes -- yours might want to give up napping early. But persistence, if you can, is key. Ada had multiple times throughout the years when I thought she'd be done with napping, only to return to months upon months of awesome 2-hour naps up until this stage. Fight the good fight!)


Anyway, I could write a lot about naps. But today I just want to share our quiet box. It's been working really well. Ada's occupied and having fun while I get some quiet time to get stuff done, like work or dinner preparations.

Or while I take a half-nap.
Yeah.
That sounds good.



There are so many ways to do the quiet box thing. Some people have one for each day of the week with different stuff in it. I decided I didn't have the space for that, so:

• I rotate out different things each day. Or not. Usually I try to put at least one different thing in and not everything you see here is in the box at all times. I try to keep it to four or five activities, so as not to overwhelm.
• I also don't go crazy trying to make it endlessly entertaining. I strongly believe it's OK and even GOOD for kids to be bored and to have to come up with new uses for the same old stuff. 
• The same goes with the actual content. You can get really educational or just go with open-ended play. I choose play. Ada gets enough learning at school, and I think she just needs to have the opportunity to be creative, to dwell in her thoughts and imagination.

Other stuff:

• She can only play with the quiet box during those designated quiet times. So, if she wakes up too early, we have an OK-to-wakeup time set, and then she can get the box. She has to at least try to nap before she can play with the box (and yesterday she napped 2 hours -- there are days when she really does still need it!). 
• She has to stay in her room while playing. If she needs assistance with a project, I'll give it to her later, so she just sets it aside. For example, she wanted to make a big ball out of the pipe cleaners today, but she waited and did other things until I could help her.
• Everything in the box needs to be cleaned up before we move on to the rest of the day. If she throws something around or makes a mess, that activity gets taken away.

 Here's some of the specific things in our box right now:

• Sesame Street Slide-and-Learn Flash Cards
• Barefoot Books Yoga Deck
• Dollar Store Coloring Books
• B. Toys Pop-Art Beads
• Crayons (less mess than paint or markers)
• Melissa + Doug Water Wow Books
• Books
• Popsicle sticks with velcro to make shapes
• $1 Spot "Lego" Blocks from Target
• Lots of pipe cleaners
• Shapes made from a stack of felt
• $1 Spot Felt Animal and Shapes from Target
• Child-safe scissors
• Strips of Rick-Rack and ribbon for whatever

So far this system is working out well for us. I'd love to know if you do something similar. I'd also love suggestions for things to put in the box, ways to deal with super random sleeping times (wakeups/bedtimes are all over the place -- I'm sure we're just in a big transition), and anything else related to preschool age sleep.

HAPPY FRIDAY! And don't forget to enter the $75 PinkBlush #giveaway!

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Paint the Piano?

We’ve had our antique store find piano for about a month now.  It’s been a glorious month of pecking on the mostly tuned keys. It needs a little work, that’s for sure, but it actually sounds great considering its last maintenance was back in the 1970s. Oh, I can’t even begin to explain the difference between having a real piano versus our old keyboard (we sold it to a local music shop, by the way).

Well, I guess I can. It just feels entirely different in my heart and bones. The sound absolutely fills the room. You can feel the vibrations in every part of your soul while you play -- even if it’s just a few bars of "Rocket Man." Ada loves playing it, too, though she’s a few years away from starting any sort of formal instruction.

And I knew it was only a matter of time before I got the itch to paint the darned thing. I mean, I’m always tooling around with something in the house. We have a lot of wood going on, so I want something that will make it pop.

I’m thinking matte black paint (likely chalkboard paint, but just sans writing on it -- been there + done that too many times). Sort of like these inspirations from Pinterest. The way our current piano looks is in the bottom righthand photo.

What do you think? 

Paint?

Don’t paint?

Don’t care?

I’d love to hear if you’ve painted a piano. What color did you go with? What was the process like? Do you regret it? Leave notes on anything and everything in the comments. Or just tell me what you ate for lunch, that’s cool, too.

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Pinterest to Reality

I’ve been going beyond crazy on Pinterest lately. I don’t know if it’s the same for you, but it’s like my stress release. If I’m feeling cranky or sad or otherwise icky, I’ll hop on there and browse. I hardly look back at the stuff I’ve pinned, so I’m trying to make a better habit of following through on these mini-dreams of mine.

From time to time, I hope to share a few Pinterest to Reality projects with you. Here’s my progress on a few items I’d like to complete in the near future.

BACKYARD COMPOST

I’ve mentioned it before on some homesteading posts, but we haven’t started up a composting system at the new house. Finally the ground has thawed and we’re ready to figure it out. After searching around, I’m pretty sure we’ve decided to go a galvanized can route.

Current:

Kitchen garbage bowl . . .


Inspiration: 

Galvanized Composter via Creative Homemaking


I just need to pick up a galvanized trash can, use a quarter inch drill bit to drill holes in the bottom half, and get digging. I’m going to try to tackle this project over the weekend, provided we don’t get too much rain today. I love that it’s tamper-proof. We’ve had problems with some of Ada’s plastic yard toys getting totally chewed by animals.

BETTER HAIR

Oh, man. My hair. Don’t look too closely -- it’s a mess. The last time I had a professional haircut was on Mother’s Day last year. I got all of it cut off and then started the long, grueling process of regrowth. I’ve also been dying my hair with henna and box dye and henna again, etc. It’s reddish, and I’ve kept it that way for years. Lately, I’ve been wanting it more of a dirty blonde/light brown color. Basically my natural color with a little oomph.

Current:

Self-cut style that I lightened using L’oreal hi-lift . . .


Inspiration:

This style/color by Anh Co Tran, though I might want to go slightly lighter and longer. But I need some professional to touch my head at some point with scissors. The front of my hair looks OK right now, but the back is a choppy mess.

TELEVISION TAMER

I think one of the most obvious ways I’ve been coping after the miscarriage is nesting. I mean, we had a lot of started projects . . . and I’ve been working to finish them like whoa. We put new vinyl flooring in the bathroom (we’re also painting, etc.), we spiffed up the living room, we added new window treatments, our budget kitchen update is almost complete, we’re planning to stain our deck, and the list goes on.

Right now I’m looking for a way to deal with the cords sprouting out of our TV above the fireplace.

Current:


Inspiration via Cameras and Chaos


These people snaked their cords through a clever channeling system disguised as architectural details. It looks easy enough. I love the structure it adds to the room. It cost them $120 with all the wood slats. They also got a great deal on their mounting hardware ($45!) and picked up some extra long HDMI cords.

What’s on your Pinterest to-do list?

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A Room For Living

We’ve tackled the dining room and the kitchen + cabinets, but the living space on our first floor has remained relatively untouched since we moved almost a year ago. It all started when I decided to look for cat-proof blinds for the space and didn’t turn up anything. In our last house, the cats systematically ruined 80% of the blinds we put up, so I didn’t want to go down that road again.

After some research, we chose faux wood plantation shutters from Home Depot.

Since they’re stock versus custom, the price point wasn’t quite as shocking. The best part? The cats don’t have any strings to gnaw on, so I figure they’ll stay in good condition for a long time. Since we knew they’d darken the room (we went with wood versus white to match the wood trim in our house), we painted the room in Revere Pewter to match the kitchen and dining room.

So, once we got all the shutters up, the living room looked . . . too mature. Something about all the wood and made it look quite dated and dark. I went on Pinterest before anything else looking for inspiration for how to mix up a room with an “oriental” rug. (I got our 9x12 lookalike on Overstock.com for less than $300.) I have no idea what I’m doing -- especially with pattern mixing -- so I needed some guidance, that’s for sure.

Here’s what I found:

(Sources: 1, 2, 3)

We haven’t finished painting the walls and haven’t actually put up the curtains. But I’m liking it so far. At least I think. I’ll admit it looks a bit crazy, and there’s still work to getting it all fitting together the “right” way, whatever that means with home decor. For example, the curtains aren’t perfect. I’d prefer some in a true ikat design, but these guys were only $9.99 a panel at the Christmas Tree Shops -- why not? I’m spray painting the old brass curtain rods and hardware a rubbed bronze color, btw.

Hooray for budget makeovers!

Other plans for this room include some fireplace freshening. I’d like to paint part of it white and make the mantel chunkier somehow. Maybe some faux crown molding. Just painting the top several inches of the room white and then adding some inexpensive molding pieces for added impact. And then accessories, etc.


I’m sure the room won’t be officially “done" for quite some time due to budget, etc. -- but it’s coming a long way from its original state. I really hated those 1980s pleated curtains. The shutters are already so amazingly functional, and we’re really happy with them! I can’t wait to update with the finished look.


Happy Friday, friends!

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Weekend Things

Not to rag on this weekend since it hasn't even happened yet, but I'm super excited for NEXT weekend. I love holiday cookouts, so tomorrow we'll be tuning up our charcoal grill and getting all the supplies we need for an outdoor feast of sorts.

In the meantime . . . 

// Down for the Count //

After posting about MyFitnessPal experience, I've struggled.

I think tracking what I eat is really helpful, but I'm getting too numbers-focused.

And then I eat things like delicious Justin candy bars versus healthy snacks.

// Sniffles + Sneezes //

Here's some good advice for how to deal with allergies on the run.

Personally, I do saline nose spray + homeopathic remedy + occasionally these eye drops.

I also make sure I shower off ASAP to get all the pollen.

// Dreams //

Wow this beautiful backyard movie night looks enchanting.

Hard to top that.

// Foot Finds //

I bought leopard crocs sandals this week. Is something wrong with me?

If I don't like them, I may send instead for these Reef sandals (good deal!).

Everyone keeps suggesting Rainbow sandals. Any experiences?

// Spring to Summer Eats //

Parmesan-Garlic Grilled Corn -- might make for Memorial Day.

Strawberry + Rhubarb Crumb Pie b/c I'm in the mood to bake a pie.

// Pretty (Cool) Playhouse //

I'd love to get Ada a playhouse for the backyard.

I've been scouring Craigslist and our local mom's yard sale group for a deal.

Been totally inspired by this project + this project. Stay tuned!

// Smart Stuff //

32 Cheap And Easy Backyard Ideas via BuzzFeed

Building a straw bale shed + did you know I dream of living in a bale house?

Grilling sandwiches using your waffle maker via Edible Perspective.

// Homesteading //

How to Turn Your Backyard Into a 4-Season Farm -- did I already share this?

Yard to Farm via Brooklyn Based

Realistically, I may plant a large backyard perennial garden, thanks to Aynsley for the inspiration!

And I have a simple recipe to add to my discussion about Mushrooms for Runners:


Just saute some garlic and sliced mushrooms in a pan for a few minutes (until softened and fragrant) and then lower the heat and add a few cups of baby spinach. Wilt and serve warm with whatever you're eating on a given night. Goes well with eggs . . . with sandwiches . . . whatever!

And here's what you may have missed this week on Writing Chapter Three:



Have a great weekend!

Psst: You can check out more Weekend Things here + here + here + here + here + here + here + here + here + here + here + here + here + here + here.

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Crazy Layer Bars || Made Healthier

I've been meaning to try this for a long time . . .

These Pinterest-popular bars pop up on my feed every week. I don't even know where they originated. Obviously they are tempting, but I've tried taming my cravings because they're just . . . so . . . much . . . sweetness.

I'm not going to pretend I've made them healthy. But certainly making a few swaps here + there made them healthier. Baking a smaller batch (most recipes I found were for 9 x 13 pans), it's more in moderation. Or something. Bargaining, er, enabling is going on here maybe.

Anyway. Here's my Mother's Day treat:


You'll need . . .

• Half Dozen Chocolate Chippers recipe x 2 batches
• 1 package Sans Sucre Fudge Brownie Mix (it's sweetened with Stevia)
• 16 Oreo cookies or Newman O's

Simply . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a square baking dish (I believe mine is 8 x 8). Set aside.
2. Prepare your cookie layer. I didn't have enough flour, so I tossed in some oats for good measure. Then pour it into the pan and flatten.
3. Lay a layer of Oreos or Newman O's (they have at least one vegan option, I believe, if you're looking for that -- I have also read that Oreos are vegan strangely enough) cookies atop the cookie layer.
4. Then mix together the brownie mix + pour it on top. Follow the instructions on the box, but it's just a bit of olive oil and water that's needed there. Alternatively, you can make your own brownie, maybe my Favorite Vegan Brownies. Just make sure it's a small batch and consider alternative sweeteners if you'd like to cut down on the sugar.
5. Then bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until mixture firms and corners start to look done. You want it to be a bit gooey, though, so be careful not to over-bake.
6. Then cut into 16 squares and enjoy.

Again. Not necessarily healthy in any regard. But at least a 1/3 less sugar. Less butter + eggs, too. Plus, if you're vegan, you can use the substitutions above to make this recipe. And a smaller batch size helps with the moderation part.

So, that was a fun part of my not-so-fun weekend. But I won't get into it now. Tomorrow you can look for a fitness update, including info on my half marathon training plans for the fall + the new training log I'm going to add to this site. So many of you ask about my workouts, I thought I'd bring you along for the ride this time around!

Have you ever made a crazy recipe like this one healthier? I had a lot of fun. I'm sure they're "better" the old fashioned way, but honestly -- since I don't normally eat stuff like this, it was awesome even without pulling out all the stops!

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What to Say Thursday

I must admit that my attention is divided this week. I'm in the midst of opening up my own small photography business locally -- so I've been researching all things sole proprietorship. Much more complicated than I originally thought, but certainly doable.

I've been taking photos for friends and family for years. It's what I love doing most. So, it's very exciting for me to take this step, even if it is only on the side. I spent this afternoon coming up with a snazzy pricing sheet.

What else. Hm . . . Well, between dentist appointments (no cavities!), deal-finding, and stripping cloth diapers, I haven't done much cooking this week. At least not of any blogging significance.

I did bake a batch of mini pumpkin muffins. Let's take a step back. I had this great idea for a completely sugar and sugar-substitute free muffin. One that would be suitable for Ada to munch on, too. I started mixing everything together only to realize that we were out of both baking soda AND baking powder.

Naturally, I forged ahead. Treated it as an experiment. A see-what-would-happen.


They turned out OK. What's exciting is that the taste was great without any sugar, stevia, maple syrup, honey, etc. But with no leavening agent, they aren't blog-worthy just yet. I need at least another go.

And definitely not Ada-approved.


Since I have nothing personally to offer in way of food, here are ten of my favorite recipes from my Pinterest.

• This gigantic skillet chocolate chip cookie
• Gwyneth Paltrow's no-fry fries look mighty tasty
• What could be better than sweet potato veggie burgers!
• More sweets for the sweet: strawberry-Nutella poptarts
• I'm making this avocado-egg breakfast pizza over the weekend
• Holding onto what's left of summer with blood orange creamsicles
• Moving right along to fall with pumpkin pie french toast
• Using up frozen stores with this berry and yogurt tart
• OK. More fall treats-- caramel-stuffed apple cider cookies
• And the simple, but intriguing roasted brussels sprouts with pears

I pin a lot of stuff, but rarely make my way to trying it. I am going to make a concerted effort to change this pattern by making at least two of these recipes in the next month. I learn a lot by making/trying other blogger's eats.

What recipes have you pinned and/or tried lately?

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Revisiting the Kitchen

So, I got so distracted last night, for like three hours. And -- truth -- it kept me from posting. I'm completely obsessed with finally accomplishing our large goal of a kitchen remodel. If you haven't followed us for a long time, this news is fresh to you.

If you have endured posts about our Tiny, Carpeted Kitchen and our plans on how we'd Learn To Love It Again, you're probably thinking we'll never get to it. And I hope you're wrong.

Here's what we started with:

Our kitchen was featured on The Kitchn way back in the day. In a way, the title of "Efficient Kitchen" is correct. On a good day. But as some readers pointed our, we have our major challenges.

Like blocked access to lower cabinets to make room for more counter space and appliances.


A major lack of storage. This is the only good spot. The rest is scattered.



Like in this narrow, dark hallway. We use what is supposed to be a coat closet as our "pantry" area.


We've done the best with what we have. But after finding out we need to purchase a new furnace, we've been faced with if we're going to LOVE or LIST this home. The kitchen is the room we hate the most. If we changed it? I think we'd be much happier and I'd stop browsing listings during most of my free time.

But, really. I'm a food blogger. I spend 90% of my free time in this room. I'd like to stop kneading pizza dough while kneeling on the floor. (No. Really. This happens. To give Stephen space to prep the pizza sauce. It's ridiculous!)


We're playing with the idea of converting our dining-now-family room into the kitchen. Turning the current kitchen into the family room. I need to do some measuring, but my initial estimates look good.

Here are some of the looks I'm loving. You'll notice some common themes: Exposed shelves/dishes/bulk foods, freestanding pieces, whites, pops of color, and utilizing height for storage.



There's many, MANY more -- including the sources of these images for more gawking -- on our Pinterest Kitchen Ideas board. As I've mentioned in the past, our budget is like under $5,000 for this project. So, I'm not sure what we can do.

Off to more dreaming and calculating . . .

Pssst: Tomorrow is our fifth wedding anniversary. We wrote a bit about it today on Writing Chapter Three.

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