Easter Basket Ideas

I love gift baskets!  I love the creativity it takes to put one together.  Picking a theme, a fun container and then all the unique, pretty little things to fill it.  I think that is why I love Easter baskets so much.  I love filling a basket with a lot of little gifts and sweets for my loved ones to explore.

I've already started my shopping for this year too.  Here are some of the items that may or may not end up in our Easter baskets.

masks | crayons | water bottle | snacks | book | pjs | bunny

journals | pens | lip balm | mason jar tumbler | chocolate

water bottle | notebooks | coffee | bottle opener | candy

Last year, Ella's basket was very sparse and practical.  She was about 7 months old and I didn't really know what to put in it.  Of course, who really cares when you have a giant, glitter bow on it.

My Easter basket was the best though….

This year Ella will have fun digging through her basket.  It is the perfect combo of practical and fun but even the practical things I think she will love.  She loves playing dress-up and she loves coloring and crafts so when I saw the create your own bunny mask kit from PaperSource, I knew it was perfect for her.  She will also be getting new crayon pens and a homemade coloring book for rainy spring days.  (I'll be sharing more soon about the super easy and cheap way I create custom coloring books and pages for her.)  Ella has also discovered that she can drink like a big girl and she thinks my water bottles are for her.  So I thought this spring/summer would be the perfect time to get her one of her own.  And since she really isn't eating candy yet I thought some cute bunny graham crackers and fruit snacks would be the perfect snack to hide in some traditional eggs.  Throw in some new pajamas, book and stuffed animal and she is all set for her move to the big girl bed.

Of course you can't go wrong with adding some bubbles, chalk or cute hair accessories/jewelry.

And since I had so much fun shopping for ideas for all the moms out there, I decided to make myself an easter basket this year.  It won't be as good as the adorable baby in last year's but it is the perfect excuse for those little extra indulgences.

Can't wait for summer drinks in my new mason jar tumbler!

Happy Easter basket stuffing!

Basement Remodel: Furniture

We've been hard at work making the basement livable these past few weeks and while there is still plenty to do before I'll call it finished, we have definitely been enjoying it.  I wasn't even able to get a photo without Ella playing with her toys - she always wants to be down there.  I'm so thankful we did this before our little guy arrives in May.  Hopefully we can finish this list before then too.

    To Do List:

    -  install post and stair railing

    -  new stairwell light fixture

    -  finish electrical (all outlets and the last can light)

    -  finish the trim around the window

    -  cut, paint and install shelves in nook

    -  paint and assemble entertainment center

    -  install kitchen cabinets, shelves and countertop on back wall for office/craft station

    -  move in furniture

    -  paint post and stair railing

    -  inject lots of color with artwork, pillows and accessories

    -  paint office stool

Even with a few things left on the list, this basement has come a long way and has added a lot of livable space for us.  It has allowed us to clean-up and de-clutter so many other rooms in our house, as well as forced us to organize our storage.  It feels so good to sort through all the stuff that accumulates and throw away the junk, give away the unnecessary and pack away the rest in organized boxes. 

I'm also thankful that we are done paying for this basement.  From the beginning we wanted to/needed to do this project on a budget and I'm proud that we stuck to our guns and kept the cost down.  It meant making tough decisions like not drywalling the ceiling, waiting to complete the bathroom and taking free furniture instead of buying new.  We had originally planned to move our living room couch down to the basement and purchase new furniture for that room but then my parents offered up an old leather couch and chair and we couldn't say no.  Well, admittedly I kind of wanted to because I don't love leather and I was looking forward to new living room furniture but now that it is in the basement I am so glad we took it.  It doesn't make the space look as dark and masculine as I thought it would and once I add some colorful pillows, blankets and artwork I think it will really help brighten everything up and give the space a pop.  

Another budget decision we made was to wait on doing built-ins for the TV.  Brandon's brother was giving up his entertainment center and let us take a small part of it to use as console table below the TV.  It still needs to be painted and it doesn't fit the space as well as I would like but it is sturdy and safe for children and will hold all the necessary components.  And maybe someday we'll tackle a full wall of built-ins.  That nook is just calling for it.

The last major budget decision we made was to not install a full wall of cabinets and countertop along the back wall.  Doing a full wall of cabinets and countertop actually doubled this part of the budget.  So instead I brought down the armoire from Ella's bedroom for added craft storage and made a smaller desk for working.  I'm so glad I didn't push the budget, mostly because it has given us so much more space in the shared nursery for a big girl bed!  

Oh and I also bought a cheap $10 stool from Target that I will paint a fun, bright color to help add a  pop to this part of the space and it beats the $70 I almost spent on another option.

Hopefully another update with the "details" won't be too far behind.  I've ordered some fabric and look forward to a few sewing projects.  Stay tuned!

Nursery Prints

We are not done with the basement yet but I am already mentally moving on to the nursery.  We have decided to have Ella and her baby brother share a room so now I am trying to turn Ella's feminine nursery into a fun, gender neutral space where they will both feel comfortable.

I shared in this post my "scheme" for the nursery and with that in mind I put together a few new prints to quickly and easily update it.  They are still mostly feminine but they are starting to incorporate the navy color scheme I want to introduce.  I haven't decided which ones I'll actually use but there are plenty to choose from.

Basement Remodel: Carpet

The carpet is installed and we are officially starting to move in the furniture.

The basement still isn't finished but we are starting to move in and enjoy it.  

It's amazing how just some lumber, drywall and carpet (and a lot of man power) can transform a space. The paint helped too. 

Part of me loves it without any furniture.  Just a wide open space for running, playing and having fun.

Ella and Lola sure loved it that way.

Here is our remaining checklist before I will call this project "finished:

-  install post and stair railing

-  new stairwell light fixture

-  finish electrical (all outlets and the last can light)

-  finish the trim around the window

-  cut, paint and install shelves in nook

-  paint and assemble entertainment center

-  install kitchen cabinets, shelves and countertop on back wall for office/craft station

-  move in furniture

Once these things are finished I will post the final before and after photos.  Of course, I imagine there will be plenty of finishing touches that won't be in the "after" photos like wall art, pillows, accessories, etc.….I will slowly as time and budget allow add those touches.

But for now I am just going to sit down there and enjoy more space and all the possibilities that brings.

Happy Valentine's Day

Here are a few of the other cards Ella is sharing with family and friends.

This year Ella is also sharing her new favorite pink inspired snack mix complete with cheerios, yogurt drops, mini marshmallows and iced animal crackers.  Considering Ella and her friends don't really have teeth yet we had to keep it pretty simple.  She managed to gum her way through a animal cracker but it was not a pretty sight.  Hopefully her friends' moms don't hate me after getting this.  I had to include them…they complete the mix.

We also spent a good portion of the afternoon baking for our larger family and friends.  

M&M cookies and chocolate covered Oreos were on the menu this year.

I didn't take any photos of the final, completed packages - just didn't have it in me anymore between baking and painting the basement - but they were wrapped similar to the snack mix in the heart bags from the Target dollar section.  Unfortunately the cute heart on the front gets lost when tying the bags but they were only a $1.  Can't complain.

Now to put together Ella's little Valentine's package.  It will contain lots and lots of stickers (a new obsession), a Curious George book (her favorite), pink glow sticks for the bath, some snacks and other fun pink and red crafty items.

Hope you all have a fun, festive Valentine's Day!

And because I love reminiscing, here are last years cards.

What a difference a year makes!

And to think, next year there will be a new face in these photos….

Basement Non-update update

There is nothing to report on the basement unfortunately.  I am very hopeful the contractor will finish up the wood work this week because I have scheduled the carpet to be installed on Saturday and they will not install carpet without baseboards.  I really want the carpet to be installed because that is the last step before we can start decorating and using the space.

All this waiting though has given me way too much time to "shop" and dream up how I want the space to look and feel.  I have not shared this with my husband yet so we'll see what actually ends up happening.  I have already heard of this basement referred to as his "man cave" several times.  All I have to say to that is….hahahahaha.

We are packing a lot in a small space.  It will definitely have a seating area and entertainment center.  I'm creating a kid play space with Ella's table and chairs and bookshelf not to mention most of her toys will make the big move down there.  But I am most excited about the craft/storage area along the back wall.  I am using Ikea kitchen cabinets and butcher block to create a work space for my sewing/knitting/crafting.  And maybe a few toys too. 

Check back next week to see the big update (hopefully).

sometimes all a girl needs is a cute skirt and a photo shoot

I love this girl and I love that the moment I put this on her, she smiled, twirled and danced.

Where did she learn that skirts were meant to be twirled?  I don't think I taught her that (yet).  Is it something little girls are born knowing?  Is she twirling because she feels pretty?  I tell her she is pretty or that the skirt is very cute on her but how does she know what pretty is?  She likes this skirt and it makes her happy so has she made the most perfect association that pretty means happy and joyful?  I hope so and I hope she never loses that joy.  I hope that joy always make her feel pretty.  Most of all I PRAY that joy comes from knowing and loving the Lord and knowing that he loves her more than ANYTHING!

And if she ever doubts that, maybe some of these photos will give her a glimpse of the sweet joy that lives within her.

Sunglasses also make her happy and a little sassy.

She will always teach me far more than I will ever teach her.