There's a chill in the air and the seasons are changing. For some of us, that means rain, or snow, or freezing temperatures. The cold seasons drive us indoors in search of fun but I prefer setting up stations in an effort to have a place for everything.

What I'm about to show you is not an original idea, but one I copied from a friend, who may or may not have found it on a website somewhere. {I have no links to reference for you, is what I mean to say.} HOWEVER, it's a great idea and has such a tiny price-tag, I just had to share it with you.

Eliana had inherited some Disney Princess gowns that my mom made for my nieces and Alex had his own bit of wardrobe for make-believe time and I needed it all in one place and easy to maintain. I went to IKEA and bought the Bygel rail {39 1/4" long} for $3.99 and a 10 pack of S-hooks for $ .99. I already owned the toy box {APA Storage Box - $14.99} so I set that under our garment rack to hold extras/accessories. 

Really, though, the hanging wardrobe for only a $5.00 investment is well worth it. It's also very easy for the kiddos to get to and use. We set it at a height they can reach and screwed it into the walls {using wall anchors}. It was just that easy.

When we move into our new home, I'll be setting this up in the room we've designated as the playroom. I'll have to remember to update this post with pics from that space.

For now, the wardrobe is centered under our Historical doll collection from American Girl and some vintage baby clothes I have. {Caroline is actually in the place of Josephina since her arrival...just in case you're wondering.}

DIY Dress-UP Center {Inexpensive and Easy}

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Alright, well, maybe I do have a stubborn will. Just a teensy bit.

See. We had this issue with stuffed friends in the bedroom. We had them sitting nicely on a rocking chair that we weren't using and somehow they always ended up on the floor. Hmph.

Enter a trip to Ikea. We found this cool thing and decided to buy it and try it out. {I'm pretty sure it cost us $3.}

Anywho, today is the first day in weeks that I've been able to open windows and doors in our home without getting blasted by heat and humidity. This inspired me to do a deep cleaning in Alex and Eliana's room. Part of this cleaning was getting the animals up and out of the way.

I happily headed off to the front closet to grab the hubster's drill and drill bits along with an anchor and an eye-hook. I found where I wanted the animals to hang and drilled a hole in the ceiling. {I guessed the right size bit on the first try!} After anchoring in the eye-hook, it was time to hang our new storage. Here's where it gets scary.

I was standing on a rocking chair {so not smart, I know} and trying to hang the toy storage when I heard a "chop, chop, chop" by my head. Like, RIGHT next to my ear. Do you see the fan blades in the picture? Yah. I almost chopped myself with fan blades. Luckily, I got my "lean" on and finished the project without getting hurt.

Sometimes a mom has to do what a mom has to do. You know?

Stubborn Will? Me? Nah.

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I've talked in the past about having BIG ideas and having my heart broken into pieces for the children in Thailand.

I know that I know that my "call" in life is to work with orphans and foster children. I've simply never had anything else weigh so heavy on my heart. I've never felt as though anything else could be the one thing I'm supposed to do with my life. Aside from career aspirations. Aside from hobbies. This one topic is at the very core of what makes my heart beat.


After much thought and prayer, I've decided to not go on the trip to Thailand this October. Yes, I feel strongly about that area of the globe and what goes on there. Yes, I want to go. The good news is, this is something that I will have many opportunities to do while at my church as they work closely with the orphanage there. For right now, I just don't feel like this is the trip I'm supposed to go on. So, I'll keep my ears and eyes open for other opportunities to serve there and I will wait for the right time.

The better news is, the hubster and I may be closer to bringing things into focus for our home and family. By that I mean our conversations seem to be pointing toward something specific and we'll be seeking out information soon. Once we have that information, should we decide to move forward, I'll be happy to share about that here.

As for our home renovation. Well, (lol) things have been moving. They're moving slowly (which is not at all the way I like to see things done ) but they're moving. We bought some great pieces from IKEA to help keep things organized and create a "home" for things like diaper bags, shoes, toys, etc. Then, we came to the issue of flooring/kitchen/bathrooms. What we've decided is that we want to pay cash for whatever we do and we want to do it right. With that in mind, as well as a family vacation to Florida, we've set our eyes on redoing the kitchen next April and who knows when on everything else. For me, the kitchen is the most important area to renovate so the other areas can wait. I've virtually designed the kitchen so we know what we're looking at as far as cost is concerned. Now, we just save money and wait. (P.S. Gift cards to IKEA would be great anniversary and Christmas gift ideas!! wink, wink)

Beyond all of that, we're busy here with 2 wonderful, growing children who are a constant blessing to me everyday. Eliana's been on the move for about a month now which means we're even busier. LOL She says "Mama" all the time and is trying her hardest to learn sign language. Alex is getting ready for Pre-school and he's very excited to get started. I suppose I should bottle up this excitement so I can remind him of how excited he was to go to school when he gets older. ;)

I think that sums things up nicely for now.

Any questions?

So, Mrs. What's The Scoop?

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Welcome to Aloha Friday! I love the easy question/answer post on Fridays. I especially love it this Friday as I'm packing up and heading off to camp on Sunday and packing up my family to stay with my in-laws while I'm gone.

There is A LOT to do around here so I'll get right to it.

(If you'd like to play along or get the rules to play, please visit Kailani at An Island Life for the deets.)

My question this week is:

What is one thing you've done recently to make your life easier? And if you haven't done something recently, what do you think you could do?

We recently made a few changes around here that are not only cosmetic but helpful. We've mounted our TV on the wall, organized our storage closet, added items to our Ikea book shelf to utilize the space more efficiently, and also bought a new rack for the entry way that stores our shoes and has a flat top for our diaper bags and hubster's briefcase. I'm LOVING it and trying to enjoy it rather on focusing on the next thing(s) I would like to change. LOL 

Aloha Friday ~ 7-09

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I’ve hit the official “nesting stage” of my pregnancy. I feel like I have SO much to do around here and not enough time to do it. I want floors replaced, walls painted, furniture purchased, closets redone, and a home for everything. It drives me crazy, honestly.

Then there’s things like Christmas coming up. I need to make lists of things to by for the kiddos and other family members. Oh, and don’t forget about my wedding anniversary coming up. I need to think of what to get for the hubster and it has to be perfect.

My mind is spinning and trying to figure out so many things. I’m going BONKERS!

This weekend, I’ll be taking a trip to IKEA to pick up a “few” things for the baby. I’m afraid of what I’ll do when I get in that store. Will I leave with that new chair I want even though the hubster only wants me to pick one out to budget for? Will I throw one of everything in the children’s section in my cart because I NEED it? Will organization items give me the shakes if I don’t buy them?

Oy vey!

After IKEA, I’d like to take a trip to the Home Depot and makeover my home. That is SO not going to happen but I feel like it should.  Yes…it should…along with trips to Mom-to-mom sales, consignment shops, clearance racks, and all that jazz.

Is it just me or do you see too?

Oh, baby…what am I to do?

Nesting…Serious Nesting

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