Bullet Journal Binder: my version of a "bullet journal" style planner

At the beginning of last year I noticed bullet journaling becoming popular. It seemed to be a trending topic both in social media + local events. Here there was a group of ladies getting together to update and decorate their planners (planner parties!). I love planners but to me this sounded more like scrapbooking than planning so I opted out. I am not a scrapbooker because I just can't keep up with it. I like crafting but this just wasn't an area of interest for me. I didn't look into it any further and moved right along with my usual way of making lists upon lists everywhere.

Around that same time I had implemented a new large calendar in our kitchen that Ben made me. I absolutely love it and will probably use it for as long as there are children with busy schedules under our roof. I have all these events on my phone but needed something that the whole family could easily access. The large squares make for plenty of room for writing down multiple things each day. It lives on the fridge because we spend most of our time in or near our kitchen, and I even color coded it (with these pens)for at-a-glance interpretation. I do a mass update around the end or beginning of every month and make smaller changes as events are added or cancelled throughout the month. It has really helped me this past year to see how our schedule looks all lumped together, meal plan based on activities each evening and simplify our schedule (AKA say "no thanks) when things got too busy. 


Aside from the calendar our fridge also had a list of monthly to-do lists that were categorized by type, a laminated chore schedule for us and one for the kids. Then on our desk was a clipboard full of various notes and lists, some of which I filed away when I was done with them and others that got recycled if they were no longer needed. I had a seperate notebook for keeping track of essential oil orders + uses, a large spiral notebook with blog notes, a small notebook with our weekly meal plans (we keep our grocery lists on an app called Our Groceries because it syncs between our phones), and if there are any special events or things that need planning they either add to the lists on the clipboard or get their own file (like when it's time to do taxes) that sits in a pile with the clipboard. My lists were everywhere. To-do lists for cleaning, home repairs, event planning, shopping for specific items (notes on prices, brands, and other comparisons), decluttering (oh the irony), gifting during Christmas...

Then during this past winter break I came across something on pinterest that perked my curiosity about bullet journals again. I would give credit but I got swallowed by Pinterest's hoards of information on the subject and can't recall where I had begun but it's likely on my new Organize 2017 board somewhere... The thing that caught my eye was the idea of having all of my events, lists and the like in one area. The dealbreaker for me was that I would have to predict how much space I would need in a bullet journal for a certain section and risk having to continue that section elsewhere in the notebook. I prefer having "like with like" so that wasn't going to work for me. I searched "bullet journal binder" and found hardly anything so I realized I was going to have to figure something out on my own. I realized that while I could format much of this binder like a bullet journal and find ideas using that term, that I could really customize it to my needs and wants. A sort of bullet journal/planner hybrid.

{my cover + Index, as well as my favored pens}

To create my bullet journal binder, I shopped the house. I had quite a few office supplies in good shape from my college days. That was the best part to me because I am out little to no money if I eventually decide this doesn't work for me. Same goes for a traditional bullet journal, there are very inexpensive options out there to start with! I can't say the same for most planners, they tend to be very spendy + expire after the calendar year. 

I posted a few snapshots of my process on Instagram + Facebook and had quite a few questions roll in so I figured posting more extensively about it here would make sense for those interested. 

My first piece of advice is: make it work for you. Don't be afraid to customice pre-existing options and think outside of what current trends are. What first kept me away from bullet journaling was all the pretty curated versions everyone shares. This can be as pretty, plain, or messy as you want it to be- it's for you and no one else! 

I should mention that my version is not meant to shove in a purse and use on the go. I will use all these notes at home. Anything I need to be mobile, is on my phone in the Evernote app, my calendar, or to-do lists. We utilize the family function on iPhone to coordinate tasks + events between myself + Ben.  

After spending a lot of time looking at what I wanted in my binder,  I gathered my supplies: 

• a 3 ring binder with a clear front 
• an assortment of section dividers: 
• these ones are erasable, love them
• these ones are colorful + have pockets for loose papers, yay!
• 3 ring binder pockets - colorful + handy 
• fine point pens in multiple colors
• a pencil + eraser
• sticky labels
• washi tape 
• paper (your choice! I have notebook paper, grid paper and printer paper)
• a 3-hole punch (totally optional, but handy)
• All the notes and books you are looking to consolidate into your binder (or bullet journal)

Gather your Supplies + make  a wish list: 

First I took notes on what I wanted to have in the binder and how I wanted it to work for me. What features I needed it to have. 
Then I went over all my current methods that I wanted to consolidate and made a list. I used this list to create categories that would go together well for me and turned it into my Index. This would help me create the sections of my journal. 

{upper left: a binder pocket with a label a section label,
 upper right: the legend for symbols used throughout,
ower left: dividers with erasable tabs + washi tape tabs}

Next, I browsed bulletjournal.com to learn more about their concept and format. I used some of their formatting style and left other pieces out. I implemented the Index (but did not number my pages), future log, weekly calendar (which I may not keep up), a daily section and collections. I left out the monthly section since I have those details on my oversized kitchen calendar.

My favorite part is "collections" because it can be whatever you need it to be. You can keep running notes or a "brain dump" section, you can add a section for books you want to read/listen to, you can have to-do lists specific to projects, events or other categories. It's really fluid. If you need aditional inspiration there are ideas all over Pinterest (of course) for different lists to incorporate for both organizational and creative uses. Some are even free printables which make starting up these sections even easier!

Create your Main Sections:
Once I had the big picture down I created the sections based on my index. I worked first on the future log, weekly pages, and daily to-do. I moved anything from my calendar that I wanted to have access to from the notebook to this area. I like the future log for seeing a 6 month period at a glance, I just keep highlights for each month there, I don't include our weekly outings like play dates + Bible study since those are recurring. I also only put immediate family birthdays since I have an extensive list of birthday reminders on my phone. 

{upper left: my future log per the bullet journaling format,
upper right: my daily section on grid paper,
lower photos: my oversized monthly calendar}

The weekly section is still a work in progress for me as I figure how much or how little to include there and whether this section is necessary for me. I like the idea of putting more details on this page than I want to/can fit on my calendar, so it may stay for that purpose. Like notes about what to bring to certain events for example. The daily page is great for tasks, it helps me to remember all the things I wanted to accomplish that day and if something isn't urgent I can add it to the next day or move things I've not finished. 

While I was in the middle of setting up this whole binder I realized I had a ton of things piling up in my brain so I did a quick "brain dump" list so that I could clear my head and move on. I think I will find myself doing this fairly often, It was such a relief to get those things out of my head so I could listen to an audiobook and finish putting this thing together without those distractions. Later in the week I moved things off of that page into the sections where they belong. 

{a printable year at a glance + more 3-ring binder pockets with labels} 

Collections: 

On my Index page you can see the sections I created under collections and some of their subsections. So far my main collections are home, family, health, hobbies and notes. In home I will keep lists of home decor projects, repairs, yard + garden ideas, and the like. Under family I will keep our meal plans, notes about schedules and extracurriculars, birthday planning, etc. 

{upper: our master grocery list for easy restocking reference, l
ower left: weekly meal planning with sticky notes!,
lower right: a list of our favorite meals to aid in creating the sticky note meal planner
and adding variety to our dinner plans}

I made health it's own category instead of putting it under family because I wanted it to have several sub categories. The first page is a lot of notes about each of us and our various ailments because we have all been rotating sickness the last couple of months. This has come in handy already for relaying symptoms and length of time to the doctor at our appointments. I won't keep long term information like allergies and medications here but in our file cabinet with other health records.  I also keep a list of everyone's medication allergies in evernote because our allergies + sensitivities are just simliar enough to each other to get confusing when the time comes to remind the doctor or pharmacist. In the health section I also have a page of essential oil uses and recipes. I had been keeping sticky notes in my oils notebook where  I had kept track of my orders and inventory. Now I can keep those seperate (I have a doTerra section for ordering in the back of my binder). 

My next section is for hobbies. I have quite a few hobbies that I juggle, then leave sitting for a time but always come back to. When I do that I am sometimes left wondering what step I was on in a crochet piece or who was I going to make something for and what colors did they want...so now I have a place to keep all those notes straight. I also have a section there for this blog to keep things straight when I think of an idea for a post or when someone wants to do a feature + review (I have 2 new ones coming up!). 

{left: my first "brain dump" list after having moved these items to their appropriate sections,
upper right: remedies page in our health section,
lower right: crochet projects in the hobby section.}

Misc...
And at the very end of my binder is a section all for varied notes + to-do lists. I would like to create subsection for books I want to read/listen to, I have notes going for a book on the enneagram types I am listening to right now (so fascinating!) and I'm sure I'll keep adding notes to this section. 

My binder is fairly narrow so I see myself pulling things out once I stop needing to add or refer to them any longer and filing them away. In our desk we have two file drawers that we keep things in for less frequent access and storage. Then from there we move things on to recycling, or storage in the garage file cabinets, and lastly if they are a keepsake (like kid's art work, but of course not all of it!) they get boxed for long term storage. I keep a large padded envelope for each child each year so they can be stored away in those for future access, rather than take up precious filing space. 

How do you organize your schedule? Do you bullet journal, use a life planner, or keep track of things in some other way? I am just so thankful there are as many ways to organize things as there are people with different preferences! Only time will tell if this method sticks for me, but I am enjoying trying something new for the moment. 

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40 bags in 40 days: a long overdue recap

During the 40 days leading up to Easter we chose to participate in a decluttering challenge called "40 Bags in 40 Days" lead by Ann Marie who blogs over at White House Black Shutters, one of my favorite blogs these days. It wasn't so much about getting to 40 bags as it was about being motivated to rid your space of clutter and be happy with your home and the belongings you choose to keep in it. I really enjoyed it and am so thankful for the continual motivation it has given me to keep our home free of "junk" that clutters our physical spaces.

In my initial post I shared our current pictures which will stand as the "before" pictures to the following "afters". Although, for us this is an on going challenge in some spaces more than others. If you'd like to check out the progress along the way, you can follow my instagram account or look up #bngblogdeclutters on instagram, twitter, and Facebook. 

Being pregnant made the decluttering even more challenging. Some days I was too sick, some days our entire family was too sick. Other days I was just tired, but I'm happy with our progress and how far we've come. 

I can honestly say there is only 1 area that is still in need of some big decluttering, the kitchen. I decluttered the surfaces and a few small drawers during the challenge and a few more recently. However, due to the size of our kitchen it is a huge challenge to even have the floor or counter space to empty cupboards to declutter while entertaining children. So we are saving that project for a time when we are kid-free. It's not even something I could do on my own if Ben were to have the kids for example because I cannot safely reach the top shelves or lift some things that would need moved. All that to say, we will get to it in the future but it's not even messy enough (because it's too small to be) to be too worried about it. 

Here is a reminder of what our house layout looks like...

Our main living space in the back of the house is almost always free of clutter so there wasn't much to be done there. I have however, started a new rule for the kids both for decluttering reasons and for my own safety- all toys are to stay in the playroom or the hallway just outside of it (because it's wood floor where they like to race their cars). This minimizes clutter but also keeps the danger-zones down to a minimum. Last pregnancy I had a not-so-fun run in with a toy on the floor, so I've been extra careful about avoiding silly accidents like that.

This is what that space looked like after decluttering back in April. We have since updated our dining set, garbage can and paint in this room. I will post an update on that and the nursery when they are complete.

Currently the garage is in disarray yet again because it's our "catch-all" space when we've got big projects going on. Over the long weekend we painted the living room, hallway and the playroom that will be little sister's nursery. Furniture was displaced to the garage for the most part and the work station for paint supplies was set up out there. Pictured below is a before decluttering and after decluttering (before painting mess). Most of our work here was purging toys, clearing off the work bench and rearranging to make zones for things. Separate spaces for toys, tools, laundry, pantry items, overflow shoes, and craft supplies. We still have some organizing to do, which will mostly be taken care of once we get some shelving up. Ben is planning on building this shelf for the toy storage bins.

The boys' room got a big change when we got them bunk beds at Ikea in March. It was the ONLY way to fit 2 twin sized beds in their shared room. It's been a roller coaster of a transition, but they love it and the space it saves is amazing. We're also in the process of repurposing their closet which mostly holds Ben's music equipment by moving that out and making space for the extra chairs to our new dining room set, which are taking up too much room in the garage. Plus I don't like the idea of them being exposed to extreme temperatures and our projects as they go on out there. This room currently has no toys or books, it's just for sleeping and getting dressed because Desmond can't handle nap time if there are toys to be had. He can barely be kept from climbing all over the beds! This will change as he grows older and as we need to move the toys from the playroom/nursery to their room.

The playroom/nursery got a pretty major declutter, and now that it has been painted will be completely rearranged. This will involve taking the desk out and either selling it or storing it at my in-laws. The closet here houses all the kids' hanging clothes, baby stuff up on the shelf, baby blankets, and items that they have yet to grow into or have grown out of in a dresser. The dresser also doubles as child-proofing for the entrance to our crawl space which is in the floor of this closet.

{I'm already so much happier with this room just after painting and removing the textured ceiling!}

The front living area which we just call "the front room" is more of an adult space and a major blind spot from where we spend most of our time, so we have a baby gate up at the start of the hallway to this room to keep it limited access. Malakai can open the gate but he knows not to without permission. Here we have our desk and computer, a piano, a sitting area, my sewing/craft table, preschool supplies and more. The coat closet also houses craft supplies and gift wrapping in addition to the current seasons jackets, hats, scarves, etc.

The desk got a major overhaul when I finally went through our file system. I also put some little used files that we still need to keep around in a file cabinet in the garage that we acquired from my in-laws (thanks guys!) which made room in the drawers to actually access the files we need to use on a more regular basis. I purged a LOT of kids' artwork but also kept a lot, reorganizing it by school/church/etc. I also removed a lot of stuff from the top of the desk to give us more work space.

My craft cabinet got emptied out and rearranged. I do still have crafting supplies all over the place, mine and the kids' but they make more sense now rather than a little bit of this and that all over there are kid craft storage areas and then my craft and sewing storage based on material and need. Some of it is in bins underneath the oversized chair (which I love, but most people don't).

I boxed up a lot of books from the shelf, things we want to keep but don't need to display. I also got rid of some and did away with some knick knacks and picture frames. In doing so I tried to make this room a bit more kid friendly so as Desmond grows older he can come in here without being a hazard to himself or our stuff. This will also help if we need to move our preschool homeschooling back out here once the baby's room is in use for little sister.

In our room (which I haven't taken progress pictures of yet) we started by clearing out everything underneath the bed. Clothing has been a big challenge because while pregnant I'm constantly reevaluating my wardrobe based on what no longer fits (so it needs stored), what does fit (so it's in the closet or dresser) and what will likely fit as baby + I grow (in an underbed box). It's an on going process, but I did get rid of a lot of non-maternity clothing that I hadn't worn in ages. Ben also got rid of a lot of clothing and shoes so that helped free up space in our closet. The shelf above the hanging area in our closet has always been difficult for me because I can barely reach it. I toss things up there (we had stored anything from bedding to sweaters there) and it just became a heaping mess. Ben cleaned it out and now half of it is for clothes I've "outgrown" and hooded sweatshirts/other things too large for the dresser or hanging and the other half is our bedding.

Our dresser has more space thanks to purging things and I cleaned up the area next to my bed where the yarn had been been taking over from half done crochet projects. I also have a vanity in this room which I use for some clothing storage but mostly cosmetics, hair products + accesories as well as belts, jewelry and a few keepsakes (my sad and dusty wedding bouquet being one). This needed major decluttering and dusting which took a while but it is so much more useful now that it's done. I do my hair and makeup here rather than our one tiny bathroom.

Speaking of, we did a lot of purging of items in the bathroom as well. Expired vitamins, medications, lotions and shampoos we weren't using, etc. It's not exciting enough to post pictures of, but it's nice to have the space. We also got a new shower curtain with a see-through panel at the top that lets more light in and makes the room feel a bit bigger.

So there is our progress in an attempt to declutter and simplify the way we live. It has been a much longer process than just the 40 days, but getting organized and serious about it over that time really created new habits in us that will help us to live with less clutter, which is essential in a house this size and our growing family!

decluttering progress

We've made quite a bit of progress on our decluttering journey since starting March 5th with the rest of the "40 Bags in 40 Days" crew. I've shared some before + afters on Instagram and Facebook as we went along. It's great motivation putting your messy house on display, and it's been encouraging to get cheers from friends along the way as I share the progress.

My Ikea Wishlist...

This weekend we are going to Ikea....kid free! It's a small miracle that we worked it out, but the boys will hang out with my parents for the day while we ride up with Ben's parents for a day trip to Portland, just to go to Ikea. They've never been and the one time Ben and I went together year's ago we didn't even know there was a downstairs section besides the warehouse, so we only saw the showroom. I went in November during my girl's weekend, and have been wanting to go back with Ben to check out a few things ever since.

We've been building a list, and by "we" I mean me. Here are just a few of the things I want to check out. We may buy a handful of the cheaper items or we may just eat Swedish meatballs and browse. Either way, it's kind of fun to see what other people are shopping for sometimes, so I thought I'd share what's on my Ikea wish list.

Motivation to Declutter- 40 Bags in 40 Days

I came across Ann Marie Heasley's blog, White House Black Shutters last summer through Pinterest when she had started her "Summer Simplify" series. She shared inspiration for simplifying spaces around the home. I tackled quite a few areas and shared my success on Instagram along with her and other followers.

Now it's time for spring cleaning and our house (and garage!) could really use some decluttering and simplifying. Anne Marie came along again with 40 Bags in 40 Days and I was sold. Over the 40 days of lent you focus on areas that need to be decluttered and/or purged of the overflow. She even has a printable chart (see linked post above) to help you plan and keep track of your progress. I've got my whole house mapped out on one and am ready to start TOMORROW!

I chose fairly small areas and even broke some up into two days, for during the week. Saturdays are for bigger projects that Ben + I can take on together or one of us can spend time on while the other keeps track of the kiddos.

This is a layout of our teensie not even 900 square foot home to give you an idea of what we're working with here...

planning to catch up...

I'm currently surrounded by a couple heaps of clean laundry, a cluttered dresser and headboard, and a stack of mangled yarn. That's just in my bedroom, the room that we can easily shut in case of company. However, the rest of the house is in the same state. After 6 weeks of sickness and a scary illness that resulted in an unexpected hospital stay (which we all came home from with a new sickness), it's hard to figure out where to start. I'm still not feeling 100%, we all have this lingering cough that just doesn't seem to let go and so I'm having trouble figuring out how to get the house back in order.

I need a plan for catching up. I have a pile of mail that needs sorted, insurance and medical paperwork that need filed away, preschool lessons and finished projects, more laundry, sewing projects that range from just started to nearly finished that all got pushed aside when our healthy began to decline, a bag of items from Ben's birthday that never got put away, Sunday school projects, more shoes and coats than we need all at once next to the door, and probably more laundry. I also would like to get started on our taxes. Oh boy. At least the kitchen is clean, I have a very tired and amazing husband to thank for that (and all the other loads of laundry that actually did get put away). He's incredible. 

What do you do when you get behind on household chores and daily maintenance? Do you make a plan or just tackle it? Do you do a little bit at a time or wait until you get a chance to get it all done at once? 

I'm truly so humbled and encouraged by the friends + family who are still bringing us dinners. It has afforded us the rest and recuperation we need to get back into step with our daily lives and to focus on making sure everyone (especially Desmond) gets and stays healthy. Once again, we thank you. 

As an added note- if you haven't heard of it, the website Meal Train is incredible for setting up meals for people in need. For someone who has just had an illness (or 4), recovering from surgery, welcoming a new baby, or just could use a blessing- it means the world. We've been on both the giving and receiving end of several meal trains. I've used the site to organize meals for new parents, and for my mom after her surgeries last year. It's so easy and so worth it. 

where my time goes...

I've been terrible about updating around here lately. I knew it would happen once Desmond was born, but there's no way I could've predicted just how busy and different life would be. I feel like I have about 30 different projects going all at one time between work and home, all in different stages of "doneness" and all demanding my attention. Nothing demands my attention more than Kai + Des though, and they always win.

However, when I do get a chance to work on something here is how I spend my time:

* laundry. every person in charge of the laundry with a family of 4 knows how ridiculous and NEVER ENDING this chore is. It's always overwhelming, always. Right now there are about 10 categories: 1. Mine + Ben's dirty laundry. 2. The boys' dirty laundry 3. dirty linens 4. mine + Ben's clean clothes that need put away. 5. The boys' clothes that need put away (currently occupying the crib in the playroom-yikes.). 6. linens that need folded and put away 7. Des' clothes that are soaking in oxi-clean 8. clothes that are in the process of being washed/dried. 9. things that are hand wash only. 10. Clothes in the closets/drawers/on our bodies.

* dishes. pretty much the same story as laundry, although these get done quicker because 1. it gets gross faster and 2. there isn't room in my tiny kitchen to have dishes piling up.

* gift sorting. this is kind of an odd one, I know. We had a pile of gifts from Christmas and my birthday that was kind of taking over our living room (along with the clean laundry to be sorted). I don't give Kai all the new toys at once, nor Des for that matter. First I had to sort through the clothes, de-tag and wash the ones that fit now and put away the ones they'll grow into later. Next I dug out all the books and when I need a good distraction while nursing or putting Des down for a nap I'll grab a new book for Kai to read. Next are toys, which are all in a plastic tote until their time to shine. Last is the giftwrap/bags that I'm keeping. I'm almost done with this project as I had some time over the weekend to tackle it.

* Taxes. Right now I'm in the collecting stage, we still have 3 documents we're waiting on before I can get started.

*General cleaning. I sweep the floors every day and vacuum about twice a week (sometimes more). Kai helps me clean the playroom every couple of days and I'm constantly wiping down the dining area after he eats. I try to dust and wipe the whole house down, and scrub the bathroom at least once a week.

* General clutter. Every flat surface in our house has the tendency to accumulate clutter. Birthday cards, grocery lists, user manuals, books, vitamin containers, pens, paperwork, etc. Sometimes we'll go weeks without really putting these things where they go. It never takes long to clear off the desk/table/dresser/etc. but cleaning up dirt overrides clearing off clutter in my list of priorities.

* 2012 calendar. For the past 3 years I've done a photo calendar with pictures of the previous year's events on each month. I'm behind every year. This next calendar may have a starting month of March...

* organizing photos. I'm the most behind on this project. Before we moved here (almost 2 years ago) I had been in the habit of deleting photos that weren't great and renaming them by the date and putting them in folders by month and year. Once we moved, unpacking and getting the house ready took a priority over this project and I still haven't been able to catch up. Just about every photo from 2011 is in an obscurely labeled folder on the desktop. ugh.

* blogging. It's one of very few things that I consider "me" time, but I also do it for my family. It's my alternative to scrap booking or journaling.

* Reading. I NEVER get to do this, but last week I read The Help. I can't wait to see the movie!

* appointments. I used to make all the appointments, but now I have Ben take care of his own. So now I just schedule doctor, dentist, eye, and other appointments for the boys and myself.

* work. I've taken on a new job, which means more projects. I work on recruiting and scheduling volunteers at our church for nursery through 5 year olds. I make sure there are supplies for lessons, snack, clean up, diapering, and more. I organize curriculum for the two's and will soon be taking over the curriculum for 3-5's. I brainstorm ways to better the classrooms, volunteers, and more.

* finances. I keep track of our income + expenses, although this is something we've been talking about having Ben take over.

* small group. Ben + I just decided to host a small group through our church. It starts this week and I'm so excited! I need to prepare a snack/dessert and clean my house from top to bottom. (see all of the above items).

I'm sure I've missed something, and of course this is just all the indoor stuff since it's winter and we aren't tending to our yard + garden yet. Plus there's all the things that Ben does! He helps with the household stuff when I need it, but he also has plenty of other things to do like take out the trash, clean and organize the garage, maintain the cars, take care of all things technology and electronics and more.

Clean Sweep + 16 weeks

I love the weekends, but they go by entirely too fast. We just start to get into a groove of having Ben here all or most of the day and suddenly it's Monday morning again and he's out the door before we even wake up.

We had an impromptu dinner at my in-laws on Friday night followed by chasing Malakai around the yard in the beautiful weather.

Saturday was reserved for finally going through the garage, "Clean Sweep" style. During Kai's nap we  moved the car out into the driveway, swept the floor and taped down labels. We had a section for trash/recycling, donation, garage sale, storage, and keep/unpack.

I wish I would have taken before, during, and after pictures like I usually do. We were so in the zone and trying to make the most of our time before Kai woke up that I didn't think about it. I did take the advice of a friend and took pictures of things that aren't useful but have sentimental value so I could donate them or throw them away. How did I not think of that sooner?! Such a great idea for things like my counselor nametag from outdoor school and the box full of elementary school artwork that my mom snuck over from her storage.

Once Malakai woke up we tried to bring him out to have a snack in his stroller so we could keep working, but that didn't last long. So decided to leave the rest for after lunch on Sunday. Plus we had Ben's grandma and aunt come by to visit. They were seeing the house for the first time. Malakai was in a terribly cranky mood, throwing fits for seemingly no reason at all. I think he simply woke up on the wrong side of the bed and wasn't ready to entertain new people.

Later while I put dinner together Ben took Malakai to play out back. He got these incredible pictures of him discovering the dandelions. It made me wish I had been out there, and surprisingly enough it made me not hate the weeds as much as I usually do.

{look at the little seeds floating away, so pretty}

After dinner Kai decided to make another discovery. That the bed in the guest room (soon to be playroom) is like a bigger version of his. He looked so tiny when he climbed up and pulled the quilt over himself. I know that once our 2nd baby is here, Malakai will probably never look tiny again. 

{my mom made this quilt out of fabrics from my childhood: other blankets, clothes she had made me or my dolls, etc.}

On Sunday we did our regular church routine. Malakai did better with me leaving him in the nursery than he has been lately and was very pleasant with the volunteers and other children. The past few weeks he's been pushing and tantruming...not my favorite. 

Once we got home, Kai napped and we went back to work on the garage. He woke again before we finished, but we had gotten enough done that Ben could do the rest himself. Our trunk is now full of things for donation and everything in the garage is much more organized. There are still a few boxes to unpack, but at least we know what's in them and where we want it to eventually go. Once we have our garage sale we will have even more room. Right now we have our upright a/c from the old house, space heaters, a tv, and a ride on toy taking up most of the space. We're hoping we can make some good money to put towards Kai's surgery. 

Later that night we unpacked our DVDs for the first time since we moved just over a year ago! Shows how much time we have for watching movies around here. We actually decided to get rid of about half of them and added them to the garage sale pile. It felt so nice to know that we'll soon be rid of a LOT of clutter. I am really looking forward to the empty space in our future. 

Next, before the garage sale, we are going to go through all the closets and sort out clothes and other unpacked boxes. I'll mostly be working on this during nap times and Ben will help after bedtime during our rare free evenings. Is it weird to be excited about this? 

After finishing the garage Ben took the weekly belly picture. I had to laugh that I was wearing a really cute and put together outfit for church that morning and we took the picture in a t-shirt and jeans. Oh well. 

How far along? 16 weeks.

Total weight gain/loss: 7 lbs! Seemed like a lot to me, but I can't remember how much I had gained at this point last time around and Dr. M says it's just fine. 

Stretch marks? nope

Maternity Clothes: still a mix of small maternity and medium sized pre-pregnancy clothing. I've found myself digging out all my long tops. I have a feeling I'll need to store some shorter shirts already. 

Sleep: pretty good this week.Especially last night after all the work we did over the weekend. I find myself rolling onto my stomach and back lately. 

Best moment this week: Ben hearing the baby's heartbeat for the 1st time.

Movement: yes, lots! I can't wait for Ben to feel it. 

Gender: ultrasound scheduled for May 26th!

Labor Signs: nope.

Food Cravings: stirfry, vanilla ice cream, brownies. you know, healthy stuff. 

Belly Button in or out? in

What I miss: my pre-pregnancy jeans. I'm stuck to the same 2 pairs over and over right now.

What I am looking forward to: the ultrasound in just 25 days (yes, I'm counting down). 

Weekly Wisdom: get ready early. I'm so glad we're starting to get all the big cleaning and organizing items done now before I'm too big to lift and bend (although I'm careful about anything heavy). 

Baby Brain Moment of the Week: forgetting the words to things all the time. For some reason, with both pregnancies I seem to have trouble with words for describing furniture and fixtures. Last night I couldn't think of the word "knobs" when talking about the sink fixtures. 

What did you do with your weekend? Was it sunny and beautiful like it was here?