Random Ramblings...

Has it really been over a month since I've blogged?? 

Yes. It indeed has. 

And GUESS WHAT!??! Christian is going to be ONE in just 4 days!!!! 

How is that even possible!?!? Didn't we just bring him home from the hospital? And I mean, I haven't done a baby update post since he turned 9 months, so he must still only be 9 months...right?? 

Life has been very full lately and blogging has been left at the wayside. Not that I don't love just spilling my thoughts out onto my computer screen and sharing loads of pictures of my handsome little man. I've just been prioritizing differently lately. I value time with my ever growing baby boy and a clean house more than I've valued documenting our life lately. 

I wish I could share a bagillion pictures...but it seems I have yet to figure out how to back up my photos onto disks yet *gasp* (I better not lose every photo I've taken over the past year before I figure that out!!!) and so I haven't exactly done a photo dump from my phone lately either... 

Over the past 2 months or so, as I said, life has been FULL. 

We moved into our new house and have been busy making it our home. 

By that I mean we have been making lots of trips to Home Depot, attempting projects from Pinterest only to find out that the original pin didn't exactly include every step for the project, meaning the project doesn't really work for us and we have to start over.... 

It also means I've been painting...so far all I've painted is some trim in our bathroom and the bathroom door...painting with a baby means only painting during nap time.

Day #1 Nap - Tape for painting the trim

Day #2 Nap - Prime the trim

Day #3 Nap - Paint the trim 

Let the paint continue to dry because I realized that I bought oil based paint.... ugh.

Several days later...tape for painting the walls

Wait for new paint brushes to arrive since I couldn't get the first paint brush cleaned from the oil based paint... 

Day #10 Nap - Prime the door 

Day #11 Nap - Go to paint the door and find that a bird pooped on it while it was drying...ai yi yi

Clean the door and then attempt to find something to use as a drop cloth so I can actually paint the door inside

Paint side 1 of the door 

Maybe I'll actually be able to get the door finished tomorrow and back on and then get the walls painted in the bathroom so I can move on to the next room..

LONGEST. PROCESS. EVER.

And all of this has been for just ONE room. Ha ha 

Maybe I'll find time to share some DIY tips after all of my projects!

**Note to self** 

Oil based paint paints on beautifully but takes FOREVER to dry and is a PAIN to clean up! #newhomeownerfail

Goo Be Gone is a great fill in when you don't have mineral spirits! 

On another note...garage sale season has started and we have been scoring some MAJOR deals!!!

But along with garage sale season has also come allergy season...the worst one YET! Boo. 

The weather has been getting nicer, though, and we have been spending TONS of time outside...hence the allergies :) Christian cries when I make him come inside. We love walks and park time and time on the deck! 

Christian has also started walking!!! Not fully walking but he has taken 4 steps on his own and will do this periodically. 

Those are just a few of the highlights from the past 2 months. 

 In college, a very wise teacher once told me: 

"You can have it all, just not all at once" 

In this season of my life, I am realizing just how true this is. 

I wanted to be a stay at home mom so that I could have time with my baby boy. As a stay at home mom my focus could then be on caring for Christian and our home and family. 

This has always been my dream. 

Lately I've found myself asking, "If this is my dream, then why don't I embrace it and live it? I don't need to blog...at least not in this season." 

I still want to blog and hopefully will, but I want to spend this season enjoying what God has given me and the opportunities I have been blessed with. 

In this season I'm going to be a mom. 

Just a mom. 

And that is enough. More than enough and all I've ever dreamed of. 

And right now that season is calling. Somebody is awake from his nap and apparently doesn't want to just play with daddy. 

Hopefully I'll blog again, but today I'm enjoying this season. 

What season are you currently enjoying? What does life look like for you?

 What are you having right now in your process to "have it all"? 

Life Lately

Hello! It's me over here! Yes, Chandelle! I know I haven't been around much lately but I'm alive and thought I should at least give a quick update! 

For starters...did you know we are moving!?!?! 

Yep. That's right. We are moving from out cute little townhouse to a 

single family home in just 12 days!! Yikes. 

Here it is! 

Can I get some more boxes?? 

And a moving van?? Er...truck?? 

How do we have so much stuff!?!

 Needless to say my time has been occupied not only with a busy little always on the go guy who is getting into everything, but also with packing! The second he goes down for a nap I get to packing. And well, we are currently out of boxes so here I am finding time to blog! 

That brings me to the next big thing going on our lives...I think Christian is

  transitioning to only 1 nap already!!! How did that happen so fast!?! Don't get me wrong {but maybe call me weird} I am SO excited for him to take just one nap a day!! That means we can go out in the morning and do stuff and see people and not have to worry about being home in time {so early} to get in a morning nap. Bring on the fun! Just in time for warm weather and summer!!! 

At least this is what he has been like the past few days and today he actually made it until after lunch to go down for his nap...so here's to hoping that continues! Oh and umm...somehow he is already 

almost 10 months old!!!! Ah! I love this age and he is so fun but I'm so sad that he is growing up so fast! 

Stay tuned -- A 9 month baby update is coming soon!! *hopefully* 

In all of the busyness that is our lives right now, though, at least I have one less distraction -- Social Media! Have you noticed the radio silence lately?? Well, that's because I gave up social media for lent! I have a bet going with my husband that I won't go back after lent...We will see. 

You are probably thinking "isn't blogging social media??" Well....yes, I guess it is. But it isn't the distraction for me that facebook, instagram, and twitter are...or even pinterest! 

And boy have I been loving pinterest! So many house ideas!!! Can't wait to get started on some house projects for sure! Be ready for some DIY posts! Woo hoo! That is if I can find the time to blog about them :) 

Anyway, back to my social media fast...I feel like social media creates a lot of pressure and comparisons in my life, not to mention that it's a major distraction. So I'm "patching" this area of my life so that I might be able to see God more clearly instead and hear his heart for me and it just happens to go along with my One Word for 2014 - Simplify! 

I just ordered 2 books for Christian about Easter! Can't wait for them to get here and even more I can't wait for next Easter and Christmas and every other season to teach him about Jesus! 

Well, I think that's all for now. Hopefully the next time you hear from me you will be reading a 9 month baby update! Christian is only like 2 weeks away from being 10 months old! Eeek! I'm so behind in those posts and keeping my pictures organized...ai yi yi! 

Right now I just have all of my pictures on my computer saved by year and season...So either a fall 2013, winter 2013, spring 2013, summer 2013 or Christian 0-3 months, Christian 3-6 months...I'm planning to switch to just month and year...but to get it all organized is quite the project. I don't even print them! 

Any tips for keeping pictures organized!?!? 

Did you give up anything for lent?

What are your favorite books or activities to teach your kids about Easter?

What is going on in your life lately? 

I would love to hear from you! Thanks for reading :) 

Getting Rid of the Clutter

Yes. That's a closet in MY house...I'm ashamed. But I'm being real.

And truth is...its WAY worse now than it was when I took this picture. I guess that will happen when  you are showing your house trying to sell it! Yep. We're moving!!! {Hopefully} Stay tuned...that's another post. 

Anyway...Did you know babies come with A LOT of stuff!!?? 

Welp...they DO!! 

Your house can fill up just with baby stuff!! Especially when you live in a cute little townhouse. LOVE our townhouse and love that it forces me to simplify and really focus on the necessities and clear out the excess....as hard as that can be for me. That closet up there, though, has become the way it is from making room for baby stuff... 

One of the first steps I took as I focused on my "one word" for 2014 was simplifying our house. The hubby and I did a major "ho out of 2013" as 2013 drew to an end. We got ride of a TON of stuff!!! 

All within a matter of a weekend! 

The desire to set up a playroom and have space for all of Christian's new Christmas toys may have been a major motivator... 

Either way, we went through and did some MAJOR cleaning and decluttering and got rid of a ton of stuff that we don't use, don't like, or just plain don't need. No more almost no more closets full of clutter. Just that one closet up there in the picture...Otherwise every room is neatly organized and cleaned out...except for our bedroom closet which was sort of the catch all for stuff that still needs to find a home or an organizational plan...Maybe that will come in the next few months with the purchase of a single family home?? :) More to come on that! 

As we sorted through our stuff, I felt instant release in just cleaning out our stuff. We even made some money in the process by selling some books and other items online! That's a pretty good motivator for cleaning stuff out too if you ask me! 

Now that we have pretty much cleaned out and organized our whole house {which will make moving easier...} I have a few tips to share with you in case you are looking to simplify in 2014 and clear out the clutter! 

1. Go room by room. 

2. Make piles and sort out the entire room/area of a room before moving on to something else.

For example, go through each area of the room and make 5 piles - 

Keep, Relocate, Donate, Sell, Throw. 

Go through EVERYTHING. Even things that you think are "good". 

3. Ask yourself the following questions when trying to decide if you should keep something: 

"When did I last use this item? How often do I use it?" If you haven't used it in the past 3 months or so, it could go. And if you hesitate on if you need it or when you last used it...it could go :) 

"Will I use this item in the next 3 months?" 

"How much does this item cost?" If it is a cheap and easily replaceable item, it may not be worth storing it on the off chance that you will use it again (seasonal items, etc) 

4. Once you have sorted your piles in a single room: 

Bag up the "donate" pile.

Throw the "throw" pile.

Put away the "relocate" pile. 

Put back the "keep" pile.

5. Enjoy a glass of wine and celebrate your hard work then move on to the next room! 

What helps you declutter? 

Are there questions you ask yourself or steps you take in cleaning out rooms? 

What are your top tips for organizing and decluttering? 

I'd love to hear!! Please share in the comments :) 

My "One Word"

January is nearly over and I've yet to share my "one word" for 2014. 

Maybe that's just a sign that I'm doing better already at living my word?? I can only hope! 

Over the past almost 8 months since Christian was born, I have been redefining life and what is "normal"...from how often I shower, how long I get to sleep, how much alone time I get, how often I even get to do my hair or really get dressed...or do yoga pants count?? Because then I get dressed every day! :) 

My goal for this year is to really SIMPLIFY life.  

Hash out my priorities and get them better in line. 

I want to really live my priorities, after all, actions speak so much louder than words. I want Christian to know what is really important to me. 

Matthew 6:21 

"Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be also." 

If you were to look at my days and into my mind on a daily basis, this is what it would appear my treasures are:  

A good image...

Through- 

A Happy Baby

Success 

Nice Stuff 

A Clean House 

An Empty To-Do List 

Instead, I want my days to show that I treasure:

A relationship with my Savior first and foremost 

Being present with people 

Caring well for others 

My priorities are God, My Family, and My Friendships. 

Matthew 6:33

"Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously,

 and He will give you everything you need." 

Join me as I seek to find balance in this life as mommy seeking to simplify and enjoy all that I have been blessed with this year! I'm hoping to simplify all that I do from the things that I keep and have to how I spend my time daily. 

Did you pick a word for the year?

 If so, what is your "one word" for 2014?