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Renovations are happening. In a BIG way!

So if you didn’t guess by the posts last week, we were at the beach. That’s because carpenters were demoing the upstairs of our house. And I wanted to escape being there, with the noise, the mess and the total craziness of the whole thing.

The carpernters, who are also the lead contractors from Clinch River Custom Builders, are top notch. I was emailing them from the beach about reusing old access doors, recycling radiators, and anything else that had me a bit nervous about my beloved historic house being gutted out while I was 500 miles away. But it could not have been left in better hands.

It was a good call on my part to leave it all to them. Because their team working here were in hazmet suits getting rid old nasty insulation that had been blown in through tiny holes in the side of the house – about 50 years ago. It took us all by surprise that it was there, behind the walls. The space seemed so inefficiant that we were all convinced there was no insulation in this old house. But there was. And lots of it.

Now it’s gone, as well as everything down to the studs and the windows. And there is physically a new house being built on the second floor of our house.

This is what we came home to Sunday, after I rolled up the plastic in our hallway to take a peak upstairs.

Somewhere behind the walls the carpenters found the original blueprint for the attic addition that contains two bedrooms and a bathroom. We are certain now that it was not part of the original house built in 1919. But how cool is this? It’s number 482 of the reasons I love living in an old house – symbolic of the things that get left behind us, and the old floors that creak beneath our feet.

On Monday there were so many contractors in our house I lost count. I think throughout the course of the day everyone showed up, from carpenters, HVAC folks, plumbers, to the crew blowing in the new foam insulation.  The only person missing was the electrician. At one point the worker guy trucks lined my house from the front corner of the house, down the side street and around the back street where we now have a dumpster and a port-a-potty on site.

In all we are handling it fine. That is me, the girls and the dog (who is being helped with some anti-anxity meds), while we live through all this. My husband gets to escape to work. Meanwhile I’m sticking to our TV free summer and finding creative things to do in our basement, backyard, at friend’s houses, and by going for walks in the neighborhood. And contractor watching! The girls are getting a first hand lesson on what it takes to build their new bedrooms and bathroom.

This is a glimpse of the entertainment on the sidewalk as the HVAC crew built the new air ducts for the heating and cooling system. Before now there were steam radiators that brought HUGE gas bills and semi-permanant air conditioners hanging out of the windows.

By the end of Monday a large portion of the roof above the bathroom had been removed, and stayed that way over night, covered by a tarp.

After the carpernters worked all day Tuesday, which was a quieter day on the home front minus the sawing and nailing, we have a new bathroom dormer. And the beginnings of the girls’ bathroom is taking shape. YEAH!

After years of thinking about how I would design this space, today I went to the showroom at Ferguson’s and ordered the cast iron bathtub, toilet, all the water fixtures, and this super rad Kohler Brockway sink, which they had to special order for me. The link is to Pinterest where I’m drooling with inspiration. Our sink will have two faucets, will hang solo on the wall and I’m going to paint the bottom a super fun color – maybe even fushia! Just maybe. Definitely something fun.

I’ll leave you with this inspiration photo, from Veranda-interiors. This is seriously going to be the coolest kid bathroom ever. Can you tell I’m excited?

To follow how all this develops and read about us coping through construction, continuing into next month when our kitchen renovation starts as well,  be sure to subscribe to Simply Natural Mom – by Facebook, Twitter, email or RSS feed.

Also check out my Pinterest boards, Renovation Inspiration and Craftsman Style Kitchen.

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A Simple Moment

A Simple Moment is a post that appears here every Friday.
A photo I want to remember of a simple moment, with a few simple words.

If you are inspired to do the same, leave a link in the comment section for all to see and read. 

Summer nights at the beach. This is one I want to remember, when I realized they were actually going to swim in the ocean this year. My they are getting big!

A Simple Moment was inspired by SouleMama. Visit her site to see many more moments.

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Our favorite beach bags for collecting shells

My sister-in-law made these bags for the girls a couple years back, as gifts. They are featured in Amanda Soule’s book Handmade Home. This year was the first year my toddler girl was able to really use hers. And she was thrilled about doing so, while collecting shells on the beach.

If you can sew, have the book Handmade Home, and are headed out anywhere in nature to collect some treasures, I suggest making these bags. They are one of our favorite things for the beach.

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Do you recycle while on vacation?

It pains me not to recycle. Especially on vacation when we are the most wasteful, buying things that come in convenient containers and beverages that come in cans and bottles.

Every year we come to Rosemary Beach I stack up our recycling hoping to find something to do with it other than putting in the trash. But as it piled up and my efforts to find recycling failed, it went into the trash.

This year I must have found the right local person to ask, or perhaps the the system is new. But the random guy stopping by the bike rental shop to pump up his tires told me there IS a place to recycle here, other than the closest county drop center – which is 19 miles away!

I just might have been the happiest gal at the beach to find out in the back depths of the community, where the housekeepers take all the linens to be washed, there is a secret recycling point set up by the county – which is not on the county’s website or in any of the information books from the three different places we have rented here.

This photo is my wonderful husband, on MY bike (a vintage ride I bought an estate sale), with our recycling loaded in my toddler’s bike trailer, headed off to find the service quarters where they hide the recycling.

I feel so much better about the world now, in a funny sort or small way where at least I’m doing my tiny part to recyle.

And I feel so loved, that my husband is willing to do this for me and not think I’m down right nuts.

SO – does anyone else seek out ways to recycle while on vacation? Because I really hope I’m not the only one.

 

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Her first mama made beach skirt

During what always is a frenzy of packing before we go on a trip, it came into my head that my toddler girl needed a mama made beach skirt. She’s the perfect age for these simple Lazy Days skirts, because they are are easy for toddlers to manage at potty time.

They are also perfect for slipping on over swim suits and nice because they dry quickly when hung under an umbrella on the beach, blowing in wind.

So among the mounds of laundry being washed, packed and put away, I made a point to get out my sewing machine and get sewing. To make it her size, I shortened the length to 12 inches and cut off 8 inches from the width of the Lazy Days skirt pattern.

My little girl was so excited! She calls it her “cute skirt.” She wore it on the beach the first evening we arrived, when all the girls made a beeline to the ocean the moment the bags were out of the car.

This is my toddler’s third trip to the beach, but it was so sweet to see her act like it was her first time in the sand. Maybe it was the mama made beach skirt.

There is nothing like seeing my babies on the beach. Even though she’s not really a baby anymore. I just love it!

 

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Tips for road tripping with children, as they grow

We just made a 500 mile trip to the beach and along the way, I realized I’ve gotten pretty good at road tripping with children. As I was thinking about doing a post on tips for road tripping with children, I was reminded I already had!

Jennifer over at Family Friendly Knoxville wrote a great post sharing her tips for taking summer road trips, including some travel tips I shared in a post that ran at my previous blog, which is now reserved for just for documenting my family.

Here is updated list of things that work for us, adapted from my original post after our Spring Break trip to Rosemary Beach in 2011, including more ideas that work for us as our children get older.

  • The most important thing to keeping everyone happy on long drives are snacks! I pack an insulated cooler bag with cheese sticks, yogurt tubes, fruit, carrot sticks, supplies to make hummus wraps on the go, Horizon milk boxes and small (for the sake of potty breaks) juice boxes. In a dry snack bag I keep surprise foods to dole when needed. Such as their favorite kids Cliff Bars, Annie’s organic fruit bunny snacks, the individual bags of Late July peanut butter crackers and Spry gum. All of these are things we’ve limited since our 10 Day Real Food Challenge, so they were very happy to unexpectedly been given them on the trip.
  • We visited the library the week of the trip to check out books. We signed up for the summer reading program where children are challenged to read a certain amount of books, or listen to them – depending on their ability. I have a reader and a two listeners. So we checked out books for all three ages, which also included six books on CDs for my middle child. Thankfully they don’t get car sick so they spent a good amount of time reading, and documenting it for summer reading program.
  • We have a DVD player in our van. Instead of checking out movies out from the library this time we went to McKay’s (where they sell used books, CDs and movies) to pick out a six “new” movies. The Jetsons and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory were the favorites for this trip.
  • I also provide art activities in the car. This time each girl had a sketch book that was recently given to them by a friend who is teaching them weekly art classes at home this summer. They all spent time drawing in them during our recent trip. Sticker books for my youngest girl still work great. And on long car trips, the stickers can end up anywhere. Vinyl sticker books are great for decorating windows and so are gel clings. Wikki Sticks are a great car art activity too. For drawing, a wooden art board is nice to tape paper to and keep it from falling on the floor while riding. A clipboard would work nicely as well.
  • When the girls were babies and young toddlers, I used to buy new things they had never seen before trips. Now I just pull out things they haven’t seen in a long time and I’ve learned it works just the same.
  • Be organized. Know where everything in the car is at. As the girls are getting older, I’ve found they enjoy having their own backpack of things and being responsible for it. Now, for nonfood items on long trips, I tell them to pack their backpacks with the books and activities they want to do, but explain that it all must fit in one bag. In an effort to travel light (which is almost a joke with five people), this is all the “extra” stuff they are allowed to bring. For smaller three hour trips, I give them their snacks up front and say when it’s gone it’s gone. There stuff stays in their area, by their seat. I have several plain, fabric bins from Thirty One parties which keep everything in their place when we travel. I also keep small trash cans in the car.
  • Have a flexible plan in mind for passing the time, watching movies and doing nothing at all but looking out the window. On long trips we drive for about 30 minutes in the morning before offering a movie. When that is done we have snacks and some non-media time where they entertain themsleves with books or conversations. We plan lunch stops in towns where we can find something other than fast food options, and there is a Starbucks handy for the parents. Then they watch another movie while my toddler naps, and we get some adult time. Snacks happen again and so forth. During the last hour of the trip we do whatever possible to deter the every 30 second question of, “How much longer till we get there?” During this last trip I was armed and prepared to start throwing cheese puffs at them, which would have been a once in a million special food treat for them. Luckily it didn’t come to that.
  • There are mandatory bathroom breaks – like it or not. Everyone goes, or at least tries. This comes from potty training, and being mindful of staying ahead of the what could come – if you know what I mean? Plus this way we can pretty well gauge who is saying they need to go and who is just saying it to get out of the car (because there is always one of those in the group). Our recent trip was our first since my toddler became fully potty trained, which made three little bladders to keep up with and dodge who needed to go when there was no exit in sight. We averaged about one stop every two-and-a-half hours. We still keep a car potty packed for emergencies. Drinks are doled out strategically, and not right after we’ve stopped for a potty break.
  • Make it fun. I’ve learned my attitude about travel is a key component as to what happens inside the car. When the girls start to kick and aggravate each other – showing some good old fashioned sibling car bordom – if I keep my cool it helps them do the same. Instead of snapping back and just turning the radio up louder (which can be very tempting), practicing some gentle parenting techniques can be contagious in the car, in a good way. Focus on the fun of a road trip. Break out silly music, sing loudly and stop if you see something interesting. My middle girl loves watermelon and peaches. So when we saw this side of the road stand selling both, we made sure to pull over. It made the last leg of our trip a bit more peachy, as she munched down on her favorite fruit. 

Happy travels! I hope this helps your journey, and your drive to get in the car and just go for it.  In the end there is not a trip we wish we didn’t take. Only more I wish we did.

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A Simple Moment

A Simple Moment is a post that appears here every Friday.
A photo I want to remember of a simple moment, with a few simple words.

If you are inspired to do the same, leave a link in the comment section for all to see and read.

Taking a final run through the rooms upstairs in our house, before the space gets remolded and improved. The space feels like a tree house, with lots of great light and old house bones. Starting Monday the space will get restored so we can actually live in these rooms. We are all just as thrilled about this as my middle girl looks in this photo.

A Simple Moment was inspired by SouleMama. Visit her site to see many more moments.

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Fabric gift bags and wrapping ideas on Pinterest

Yesterday I decided I must finally get that baby gift delivered, that had been siting unwrapped by my backdoor far too long. I don’t keep gift wrapping supplies on hand and while I keep meaning to sew a stash of fabric bags, it’s still on my want-to-do list.

The mom, who is due any moment now, doesn’t know if she is having a boy or a girl. Inside the fabric bag is a set of cloth wipes (because she uses cloth diapers) and an amber teething necklace (because I know her three-year-old daughter is not going to want to give hers up). Both were purchased from Cutie Tooties, who is a Simply Natural Mom sponsor.

Wanting a natural gift bag to go with the theme of the gift, I reused a muslin bag that a dress came in previously ordered from Etsy. The ribbon was new and in my stash of sewing supplies.

I love when things come together like this, in a very short time. Just as I needed to head out the door with three kids in tow, to piano lessons, to pick up raw milk, mail a Father’s Day present, pick up a box to store clothes in from our upstairs during renovations – you see my point. Things must be simple for me or they just don’t happen.

And this bag was perfect. Natural and pretty. Just what a sweet baby needs.

For more ideas on homemade wrapping, I have a Pinterest board labeled Homemade Wrapping ideas. There you’ll find where I used an old curtain as wrapping paper. And lots of there people’s ideas like these, using brown paper, yarn, stamps, photos, fabrics and more. Check it out. Be inspired. You won’t ever regret giving a gift like this.

 

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Snapshots of Summer

We are enjoying many moments of summer around here. In our backyard there is always a gaggle of girls, and almost everywhere we go.

My oldest daughter and I were indoctrinated into the world of Dollywood. We went with friends, just us two moms and these two girls. It was a first for everything that day for my girl. Her first visit to an amusement park, to play Skee Ball, eat Mini Melts, go on a water ride – the whole nine yards. Doing this as shared one-on-one mother daughter time was the way to do Dollywood. I’m not sure who had more fun, the moms or the daughters!

It was a good time with the silly, fun loving Lawerence Girls, at a Smokies baseball game. Six girls under age seven most definitely counts as gaggle of girls.

My oldest daughter has been working really hard at riding her bike with no training wheels, hoping to get a bigger bike soon. With all that practice comes bandaids.

Next, another girl had to try it with no training wheels, like her big sister. And of course, there was one more running after her – wearing her favorite purple star snow boots that we haven’t been able to retire from winter.

She may not ride a bike yet, but the littlest girl proves she’s not too little to climb trees. Even at dusk in her pajamas. Even after her friend (another girl) went inside for bedtime.

Then there was the curly headed girl who wanted straight hair. So we did that for fun one evening. Pause, wow, where did my middle girl go?

She wanted to show our neighbor her straight hair. There is always something interesting over there to see, and always unexpected. Plus there are two more girl neighbors who usually come out to play, into the moonlight.

Our sassy cat, Vera, usually follows us.

It’s a gaggle of girls, no matter how you see it.

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How to Really Love a Child, by Sark

My oldest daughter recently found my old Sark books buried in the basement. I forgot how much I loved Sark many years ago. Her books embrace a simple and creative life, in clever and colorful ways. Now my seven-year old is reading Inspiration Sandwich, or at least enjoying it’s playfulness in words.

When a friend of mine posted this photo with phrases titled How To Really Love a Child, by Sark, I had to do more than share it on Facebook. I want to remember this one. So I’m posting it here. I hope you enjoy it as well.

 

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