Something fresh, bright and cheerful

I am eagerly waiting for spring. I am ready to get outside and tackle this beast of a yard. I want to grow so many things. Fruit, vegetables, herbs, flowers, and... succulents! I am full of ideas and almost cannot wait to get started. But I have to. SO in the mean time to temporarily satisfy this need for spring I have been keeping cut flowers in my home. They just make me happy. I decided for this batch to go with cheerful and what is more cheerful than yellow and white. I just went to Walmart and got two bouquets that cost me a total of $10. I had picked up the drinking pitcher earlier at Old Time Pottery. SO for $20 I have spring started early in my house and I am going to enjoy them until they begin to droop. I would recommend if you are suffering from winter blues to go out and get you some flowers too! 

Its time they do their part and earn their way! Chore Charts!

I have been MIA lately. Christmas was insanely busy, I am sure it was for all of you as well. Then I had wedding edits to finish up for my last two wedding clients of 2013. So January was dedicated to that. Now that I am caught up with everything I am able to put my focus, time and energy back into my home! Speaking of home. We love our house. Its beautiful, it has tons of light.. yet with our busy work and school schedules keeping it clean has been a struggle. It is too darn pretty to be messy! Well my children are coming to that age where they can be helping. They are about to turn 9 and 7. They are very interested in earning their own money so I decided a chore chart is a must! I bought 3 cookie sheets from the dollar store. I went to Walmart and bough the burlap ribbon, mini popsicle sticks and magnet tape. At home I already had a nice collection of scrapbook paper that I used for photo packaging so that part had already been paid for and some. I got home and set to work. I wanted a chart to contain all of the chores when they have not been redeemed. Then I wanted one for Aideen and Rowan. I have those scissors with the fancy edging so I cut out all of the paper that I needed trying to keep the colors coordinating but keeping each board a little different. I glued it all down including the ribbon. While all of that was drying I started writing down chores. With each chore I wrote down an amount that will be earned for each chore. I want to teach the kids personal responsibility and accountability. They get to pick which chores to do which day and they are in control of how much or how little money they earn.