Helping Families to Connect and Thrive

Organizing Baby Clothes: Tips for Balancing the Sentimental with Practical

09.13.19

This week I tackled a major organizational challenge: sorting through ALL the kids’ baby/too-small clothes! My goal was to balance the sentimental with practical, by keeping only the most meaningful items and donating the majority to families who could use them.

I’m not going to lie, some tears were shed— and not because of the amount of work there was to be done (which was a ton!)— but because of the memories and feelings that rushed back to me as I touched each article of clothing. Favorite cozy jammies, sparkly holiday dresses, itty bitty hats, sweet ruffled swimsuits, and even the first teeny tiny onesies they each ever wore. Holy nostalgia! I did not anticipate the level of emotion I would experience going through all of the clothes. It was harder to part with some of the items that I had expected, BUT I had a clear end goal in mind of only keeping favorite items that were most meaningful and making the biggest impact I could with donations (giving away as much as possible!).

Before beginning the sorting process I created a set of criteria to follow, which was essential. In order for me to keep an item of clothing, it had to check off at least TWO of the following:

come from someone special (handmade, personalized, sentimental, etc.)
hold a specific memory of an event or time period in our lives— as in, the second I look at the item of clothing I can remember exactly when/where Isla or Cole wore it.
be in good shape (no stains or discoloration, not too worn, functioning zippers, etc.)

I tend to lead from the heart in all I do, which isn’t always the most effective method when you’re trying to organize and minimize. Really thinking through the above criteria helped me make more intentional decisions— even as I held those sweet little onesies in my hands and remembered how adorable my babies looked in them.

My Organizational Process:

I started with Isla’s clothes first and worked through all of them BEFORE going through Cole’s clothes.

I created one “to keep” pile, and then organized the donation items into separate piles based on size (newborn, 3m, 6m, etc.). After sorting through ALL the clothes, I bagged up the donation piles in labeled bags (again, newborn, 3m, 6m, etc.).

I then laundered ALL of the clothes from the “to keep” pile. As each load came out from the drier, I placed the clothes into neat piles based on size. When all the clothes were in the piles I started putting items into bins. First went shoes, blankets, and any other odds and ends. Next, newborn clothes. Then 3 months, and so on. I rolled the clothes neatly and packed them in an organized manner in the bins, except for Isla’s fancier dresses, which I laid out flat on top of the rolled clothes.

My favorite way to roll up a hooded top is to fold it in half, fold the arms back onto the body, tightly roll everything upward, and tuck the roll into the hood.

For freshness I included a few scent-free drier sheets and a couple desiccant packets in each bin.

After sorting through Isla’s clothes, I followed the same steps for all of Cole’s clothes. I didn’t have as many of his clothes to go through, as we have been more active in donating items as he grew out of them. He’s also much harder on his clothes than Isla was, so there weren’t as many “keepers” left.

Lastly, I printed large, clear labels for each bin (side and top) with each child’s name and the sizes of clothing in that bin, and attached them with packing tape.

While it was hard to part with some of our children’s clothes, and the whole sorting experience took me through such an unexpected roller coaster of emotions, I am so happy to have tackled the task! Looking at the neat and orderly boxes that remain, I feel a proud sense of accomplishment, along with that beautiful sense of peace that accompanies a cleaner, more intentional way of living.

Those who have gone through this process, do you have any favorite organizational tips? Please share them in the comments!

Cars, Trains, and Planes– Hooray! Cole’s 2nd Birthday Party!

09.11.19

Our sweet Coley Boley turned TWO this weekend! Really now, where does the time go?! We had the most wonderful day celebrating our favorite little bubba with a party that was inspired by his favorite things– vehicles!

Cars, trains, planes, and construction vehicles were woven throughout all of the decor and even the food! We’re excited to share all the details below.

Isaac designed this adorable invitation (front on the left, back on the right). As always, we uploaded the design to Paperless Post and e-mailed it to our guests so that we could track everything online.

Our veggie train made the perfect centerpiece for the table! I found the idea for the train on Pinterest and it was the very first thing I saved to Cole’s birthday party inspiration board (along with lots of other adorable vehicle-related party ideas!). I adapted the train design slightly and filled the peppers with our favorite veggies, french onion dip, and spinach hummus. Armed with my handy glue gun, I put together this simple train track using popsicle sticks the morning of the party, and it was the perfect spot for the peppers! We used this astroturf rug I found on sale at our local grocery store, as our table cloth. I have a feeling we’ll find plenty of ways to use this rug for future parties and decor.

This lemony bacon and pea pasta salad was wheely good and easy to make- give it a try!

We made stop light skewers with fresh honeydew, pineapple and watermelon. They were a big hit with the kids!

We like to get our paper plates, napkins and cutlery at the Dollar Store– I feel like that is one of the biggest ah-ha realizations I’ve ever had for party planning!

We served Honda Ham Sandwiches and Toyota Turkey Sandwiches, made with the car cookie cutters from this adorable set. A huge thank you to Kitchen Kaboodle for having these in stock and saving my hiney at the last minute!

I recently bought this corrugated planter from Home Goods because I knew it would be so versatile (planter, ice bucket, etc.). I turned it upside down to add a little height to our table and it was the perfect place for our Spare Parts Snacks! Since so much of what we served was handmade, we went the store-bought route with this snack mix– it’s all about finding balance when you’re hosting a party!

Isaac used the different vehicles from Cole’s invitations to whip up these sweet little menu cards.

We cleaned one of Cole’s dump trucks and used it to serve the Spare Parts Snacks.

My mom added the wheels from the pasta salad to the car sandwiches and they were a perfect fit!

On our dessert table we placed Cole’s cake, a giant 2, and stoplight caramel chocolate pretzel rods our lovely neighbor makes. Isaac constructed the 2 using cardboard and tape. He then spray painted it black and added the road lines with white acrylic paint.

I made Cole’s two layer Oreo “dump truck cake” as he affectionately dubbed it, by doubling this recipe (though I made up my own simple chocolate frosting) and this as inspiration.

Unfortunately I didn’t have my camera near by when Cole saw his cake for the very first time. His eyes grew so wide and he squealed, “Oooooh, dump truck cake! Happy birthday to you!” We took some photos later and I let him steal a few bites of Oreo from the back of the dump truck– the perks of being the birthday boy!

We made sure to incorporate these darling drawings Isle made for Cole in the decor as well. The first is her pushing him in the stroller next to a tractor and the second is a train in the rain.

I always like to include framed photos of the birthday boy (or girl) in the decor. We printed a handful of favorites of Cole driving or playing with his favorite vehicles to go with the theme. Not only do the photos add a nostalgic touch, but it is so fun to see our guests smiling as they pause to look at them!

We brought out various vehicle toys from Cole’s room for the kids to enjoy, and also blew up black and white balloons and sprinkled them around the house. Balloons are another great Dollar Store addition that are a must for us at every children’s party– the kiddos always LOVE the balloons and play with them nonstop.

Keeping on theme, we searched for drinks that had vehicles printed on the label or were at least reminiscent of vehicles! It’s all about the details, right?!

We set up a few simple DIY activities for the kids. The first was a decorate your own airplane station. It took no time at all to make these darling little clothespin and popsicle stick airplanes (thank you, glue gun!). We covered the table with kraft paper, and set out the airplanes and washable markers. The kids went to town creating their own designs!

We also set up a little racing ramp. Isaac made the ramp from cardboard and spray paint, and propped it up on a plastic tub. It was so cute hearing the kids giggle as their cars raced down the ramp– and sometimes clear off the porch!

Cole thoroughly enjoyed opening each and every one of the thoughtful gifts our loved ones brought him. He stopped to admire everything– his own genuine way of expressing gratitude. It was the sweetest!

Just like last year, Isla used her own money (from her piggy bank and by doing extra chores) to buy Cole a birthday present. She chose a sweet little tractor toy with a detachable trailer, and like the bear she got him last year, it has quickly become one of his very favorite things!

I think the very best part of Cole’s birthday party was the fact that he totally understood the celebration was for him, and he was SO excited! When we started singing to him and he saw the candles sparkling atop his cake, he could not stop beaming!!!

We had originally planned to host Cole’s birthday party at Grauntie and Gruncle’s, so that the kids had lots of space to run and play in all the cars. The weather had other plans, however, and it poured most of the morning, causing us to make a last minute change and host the party at home. It worked out absolutely perfectly, however, and the rain even stopped towards the end of the party so that the kids could go outside and play!

And speaking of cars, we actually got Cole a Power Wheels Jeep for his birthday, but given the wet weather and how much excitement we already had going on, we decided to wait to give it to him. There is sun in the forecast in the next few days, so we’re thinking it would be a great time for him to take his first ride! We’ll be sure to post an update!

Happy, happy birthday, to our precious car-loving Cole! The joy you have brought our hearts in the last two years is immeasurable. Thank you for your snuggly hugs, your silly dance moves, your hearty giggle, and your ever cheerful spirit. We are so grateful for you, and we are elated to experience another year together!

See Cole’s Baby Bear First Birthday Party HERE.

Isla’s First Day of Kindergarten AND Cole’s First Day of Preschool!

09.11.19

Isla was so excited on her first day of kindergarten! She held my hand tightly and skipped as we made our way to school.

When we arrived she greeted her teacher, Miss Brittanie, with a hug and a handmade card. The front was a drawing of Isla holding Charlie, who was chasing a fly— because she wanted to share details about herself with her new teacher— ha! Even though there was a line of students behind us, Miss Brittanie took a few moments to open the card and read it alongside Isla, which made my heart melt.

As Isla sat down at her seat, a puzzle in front of her on the desk, she looked around the room. I watched a wave of doubt and nervousness wash over her face. When we hugged her goodbye she gave us a brave smile and set back to work on her puzzle. After school, her face looked tired, but happy. Her eyes sparkled as she began talking about the new friends she made. As we walked home, she recounted the events of her successful first day of kindergarten.

That evening we celebrated Isla’s first day of school by completing another summer fun list activity— Hawaiian food and shave ice for dinner! YUM!

Just one day after Isla’s first day of kindergarten, Cole had his first day of preschool! Wow, so many BIG changes for our little family. Much like our first visit to the preschool, Cole walked in confidently and was so thrilled to see all the new toys that he barely looked up to kiss us goodbye. Truthfully, it made walking out that door so much easier! I had been so emotional thinking about Cole starting preschool, but then when it actually happened, it was far less painful than I had anticipated. Plus, with both of the kiddos in school, Isaac and I were able to go home and give Isla’s entire bedroom a mini makeover! (Hello, productivity! We had forgotten what you felt like!) When we returned to pick Cole up, he greeted us with great big hugs and so much excitement. He’d had a fabulous first day! His preschool owner said he played with friends and even asked to take turns— then she asked, “Is he always THIS happy?!” That is seriously the most common question we get asked about Cole. Yes, he truly is one happy little guy, and for that we are so grateful!

Summer Fun List Apples

09.03.19

After creating our summer fun list, we displayed each item as a leaf on a tree in Isla’s room. Not only was the tree a fun craft project for us to enjoy together, but it is a great daily reminder of the things we hope to experience and accomplish as a family this summer.

To help us keep track of which summer fun activities we have completed, we made these sweet little apples and added them to the tree. After completing something from our list, we stuck an apple up next to that leaf– like putting a check mark next to it, if you will. The really fun thing about this visual is that by September, Isla was left with a tree full of apples- just like real life!

Supplies:

Sturdy paper, such as card stock or watercolor paper
Acrylic paint in the colors of your choice (we used 5 different shades of red for our apples)
A square of cardboard with a straight side
A covered working surface (we keep or craft table covered with paper, so it catches the paint spillover)

Directions:

Squeeze dots of different paint colors in a random order along the first 1/2 – 2/3 of the paper.
Place the straight edge of your cardboard square along the top edge of your paper at a 45 degree angle.
Firmly press the cardboard down and pull it through the paint in a straight line to the end of the paper using a swiping motion.
Repeat step 3, until the paper is covered in paint.

To make the apples, I found an apple clip art outline, loaded it to my silhouette software, made a repeating pattern, and then used that template to cut the apples out of our swipe painted paper.

Isla then used her brown markers to color the apple stems.

Each time we completed one of our summer fun list activities, we’d stick an apple next to that leaf on the tree in Isla’s room.

Each apple signifies joyful memories and time spent together as a family. It makes our hearts so happy to see them! The apples will remain up for the month of September and on October 1 we will begin transitioning the tree from our Summer Fun List to our Thankfulness Tree. Stay tuned!

Cherry Berry Breakfast Popsicles

08.30.19

We’ve been having so much fun coming up with breakfast popsicle recipes this summer! The kids think they are getting away with dessert for breakfast, but really the popsicle is made from a healthy smoothie. This Cherry Berry Breakfast Popsicle is recipe includes a CUP FULL OF SPINACH– and no one would ever know! You should have seen how fast our kiddos, and our sweet little neighbor, devoured these popsicles!

This recipe is super simple, and Isla helped me add all the ingredients to the blender. So, yes, she did know spinach was involved, and while she likes to eat it on its own, she was a bit wary about including it with berries and cherries.

You’ll see later on in the post she had absolutely zero concerns about the spinach once she tasted the popsicle!

Ingredients:

2 C frozen cherry berry mixture
1 C fresh spinach
3/4 C almond milk
1/2 C tart cherry juice
1/4 C whey protein powder
2 T honey

Add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth. Fill popsicle holders according to their individual instructions and put in the freezer to harden. Depending on the number and size of your molds, you may have a little extra of the mixture to enjoy as a smoothie, as Cole is doing below.

Please note that this popsicle is messy– you won’t want your kids to wear white while eating them!

Cole loved his popsicle so much that when Isla came close to say cheers, he hid his, thinking she wanted it. We’ll keep working on the sharing concept! Haha!

The final bites of Cole’s popsicle dripped on the ground and made for a great experiment. That’s why we have hoses, right?!

Loving the idea of breakfast popsicles for your own family? Get our Peachy Keen Breakfast Popsicle here.