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Category: home

I’m Back!

posted in faith, family, home, lifestyle, marriage, motherhood by Sara on

Hi everyone, remember me? It’s only been like what, three weeks since my last post but who’s counting right? To be honest  real life has finally come and hit me square in the face and I’ve had to come to terms with what I can realistically do.

For the past year and a half I have enjoyed the luxury of being a “stay-at-home-mom”. It wasn’t always easy and there were days I wished it was me going to work instead of my husband. There are some people with the misconception that being a “stay-at-home-mom” means sitting at home all day and doing whatever you want (I know because I used to be one of them). However, this couldn’t be any farther from the truth! There is always a diaper to change, laundry to do, errands to run, and meals to cook. Then you have those occasional days when your children demand all of your, time, attention, and energy. It is at the end of days like that when I’d gladly trade my husband jobs.

Now that my husband is in school full time with a demanding schedule, it looks like my wish has come true. I’ve been greatly blessed to find a wonderful job that will allow me to provide for my family while my husband finishes school, but it has been a rough adjustment for all of us. I hope to one day find a good balance in my new situation, but for now I feel confused, guilty, and torn. Over the past year and a half my role has been to be a mother. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay at home and devote all my time to taking care of my baby and the home. It too was a rough adjustment at first but I came to find great joy in it. While becoming a mom is by far the greatest thing I’ve ever done, it has also been the hardest. It wasn’t always necessarily the sleepless nights or the 24/7 care that a baby requires that was hard but finding my own identity within  being a wife and a mother. I can honestly say that since having my baby I have come to find myself.

While being a mother and a homemaker is still a major role in my life (and the most important), I am now having to take on the role of provider, at least until my husband is done with school. It is a sacrifice I agreed to and am willing to make to help my husband fulfill his goals, but it certainly doesn’t make leaving my baby any easier. Since I started working a little over two weeks ago my time at home seems much more precious. With less time at home and more time away from my family I’ve been struggling to balance and prioritize my life. I’ve been force to really ask myself what things are most important and what things are not. In order to determine this I decided to make a list of what my underlying goals and priorities are in life. Here is my list:

1.  Be an attentive mother.
2.  Fall more in love with my husband everyday.
3.  Continue to build my relationship with my Father in Heaven and act in His will.
4.  Remain true to who I am and what I love.

These basic yet profound lifelong goals are what influence my daily actions and priorities. With all this being said, I also love blogging and am determined to continue what I began only four short months ago. I may not be posting as often (hopefully more often than every three weeks) but I hope you’ll continue to follow and enjoy my adventures in life as a working mom, wife, seamstress and blogger!


Homemade Fall Scent

posted in diy, family, home, recipe by Sara on

Growing up, home was my sanctuary. Sure, it wasn’t perfect but it was a place I always felt safe, welcomed, and loved. Even though I am all grown up and have a family of my own now, I still love going home and the special feeling I feel when I walk inside the front door. I especially love going home during this time of year and walking in to my mom’s homemade fall scent simmering on the stove. It is one of those scents that takes me back to my childhood when everything seemed more simple and carefree.

Here is how you can create this natural and fresh fall scent in your own home!

Ingredients

3-4 Sticks of Cinnamon
3 Bay Leaves
1/4 cup Whole Cloves
1/2 Lemon, halved
1/2 Orange, halved
1 quart Water

Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer as long as desired. Keep adding water so it does not burn on the bottom and as long as the scent will last.

And there you have it, easy right?!

Home Sweet Home

posted in diy, family, home, motherhood by Sara on

Over the last 2 weeks I’ve been working hard to turn our apartment into a home… our home. While it is still an ongoing process, I thought I’d give you a little peak at the heart of our new home. The living room is well, where we live. Being in a small apartment, the living room is where we spend the majority of our days and it is the first thing you see when walking in the front door. While we still live on a meager college-student income and don’t have the nicest pieces of furniture, I try and do what I can to make our home a welcoming and relaxing environment. As a wife, mother, and a homemaker I wish to establishing a safe haven for my family– a place where they can feel at home; a place where they can be happy; and a place where they know they are always loved. While maintaining a peaceful, clean, and orderly home is often easier said than done, today that goal was met…at least for a part of the day. But to be completely honest anywhere seems like home, no matter the state, with this cute girl! She truly brings our home to life with her adorable smile and fun personality!

Oh and I’ve left out a picture of our TV stand as it is still a work in progress, but I have big colorful plans for it! Pictures to come later! Also be sure to stop by again tomorrow for Step 3 of the Wardrobe Basics series! 

DIY Silver Lamp

posted in crafts, diy, home, tutorial by Sara on

Now that we have a place of our own, I’ve been on a DIY decorating craze! Being in an unfamiliar territory, I’ve been anxious to create an environment that we can feel at home in. But, being a poor college student (yet again) I’m determined to do it on a budget as well.

While living at my parent’s house, I regularly read the HGTV and DIY magazines that my mom received in the mail each month. They were full of beautiful decorating ideas and budget-friendly tips. One trend that I noticed in several of the magazines was the use of silver accents in the home. When done right, I think metallic accents can look so modern and chic and can be a great way to add interest to any room.

Before the move, Collin and I pick up some old lamps at an estate sell for $5 a piece. I originally purchased them for mainly aesthetic purposes, but they have turned out to be very functional as our living room in our new apartment does not have any central overhead lighting.  While they have proved to be quite functional, there was no doubt that they needed a little face lift. Excited to experiment with silver accents, I decided to spray paint the lamps silver for a dramatic look.

I started by thoroughly wiping down and cleaning each lamp to prep them for being painted. After they were clean I made sure to covered the electrical parts of the lamps. Using some metalic silver spray paint I had leftover from another project, I gave each lamp base a couple coats of paint. To finish off the project, each got a new lamp shade purchased from IKEA for $10 a piece bringing the grand total to just $30! While I do love the outcome, I think I will transition to darker lamp shades in the future to contrast my white walls…unless I get brave enough to actually paint.

For more great ideas on how to incorporate silver accents into your home, check out some of the links below! I’d love to hear your ideas and opinions! I especially love the silver picture frames!