Dyson DC28 Hose Replacement

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For over a year now {maybe two, I have lost track} I have been duct taping, and re-duct taping the hose on my Dyson dc28.
Dyson’s are great vacuums, the problem was I tried to stretch the hose
all the way down the basement stairs while someone stood at the top
holding in the vacuum in place for me.  It tore a little and a little tape
fixed it fine… but I kept doing it.
Yeah…  I know..
After several layers of tape, and feeling frustrated every time I used
it I decided it was time for a new hose.
I picked this new one up on Amazon for about $20. It’s a generic but works perfect!  Installing it was a breeze!  Just disconnect the original hose the way you would put another attachment on. Then at the base of the hose is a little tab you pull out and force the hose up & off.
Reverse that to add the new hose.
Voila!
What repairs have you been putting off? More importantly, what are you going to do about it?
 

Home Organization: A New Bookshelf

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Oh, Happy Day!  Mr. Awesome & the kids assembled this bookshelf for me while I was at a movie with friends this week.

He ROCKS for doing this!

I love seeing the big kids reading.
Today we are compiling the stacks of books from around the house onto this ONE bookshelf.  I’m keeping my expectations low, but hoping this gets organized and stays organized for at least the summer.  Once we get our groove for where the books go I’m going to borrow my dad’s label maker and mark the shelves.

Do you have any spectacular book organization methods to share?
This bookshelf is from the KALLAX line at IKEA.  You can see the details of the shelving unit on their web-site by clicking HERE.

Picture: Messy Corner

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I am seeing dozens of posts on Facebook about organization and cleaning.  A trip to Target yesterday proved “organization” must be the trend right now.  The Christmas items have been clearanced out & many organizational tools now fill their spot.
Well for me, I believe fully in the phrase “the less you own the less that owns you”.
Today I’m creating joy in this messy little corner.  This is our “donation station”.
Those little printed signs get taped to the wall each time we do a whole house purge.  We’ve been doing this for 5 years now & find it to be good for all of us.  Especially after Christmas!  The grandparents, aunts and uncles were so good to our kiddos. 🙂  Time to pass on the old things to someone else so the kids can enjoy these new things.

The Work Place

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My home is my work place.  I am here more than anyone else.  I am in charge of more physical duties here than anyone else.  I am not complaining. I take pride in this.  God has provided me a beautiful home, and a husband who allows me to be a housewife.

This year we took a leap of faith by also extending my duties to not just at home mom, but full time homeschooling momma as well.
This is just about pure joy!
Along with adding full time homeschooling to my job title, it also added a lot more STUFF to the house.
I mean it..A LOT MORE!  Books, printer paper, cardstock, colored drawing paper, construction paper, reading books, text books, teachers manuals, workbooks, pens, pencils, art supplies (this is huge), science supplies, craft supplies.  It just goes on and on!
It didn’t have to be this bad.  I just let it get this way while I was shopping for the perfect things to help the kids to learn.

I’m a pretty neat person, although all of this stuff is starting to overwhelm me!  Another resolution of mine, is to get on top of the clutter!  I’ll post little pictures of before and after, or long drawn out blog posts explaining the process to you.  Either way, I’ll let you know how I get out from under this STUFF!

Maybe while my hubby is home for Christmas break I can take the time to reallllllly organize.  Or maybe not, because I’ll be too busy cleaning up after him snuggling and enjoying his company while he’s here.

Before and After: 5 Minute Tidy

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We are running late- we have exactly 15 minutes to get everyone dressed, out the door, and to storytime across town. That seems like plenty of time, but not when you have 3 kids going three different directions and a house to clean up quick.
Yes I said clean up the house quick.
It is my rule to keep the house looking nice for when my husband comes home. Some of you may think I’m crazy, he probably thinks the same thing too.
Since I knew that he would come home while we were still gone, we did a quick clean up. 
Here is a before and after of my 5 minute tidy.

Christmas Revolution

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Within our little family we had a Christmas Revolution a few years ago, and it has produced a multitude of blessings.   Here are a few, just off the top of my head.  I know there are so many more.

  • Fewer toys to trip over on the floor
  • Less hollering at the kids to clean up those same toys- multiple times a day
  • Fewer dollars spent on meaningless things
  • So more dollars may be freely given to charities in need.
  • Less stress when the credit card statement comes and money is already tight from the increased heat bill during cold winter days.
  • Less time shopping, although it is one of my loves, shopping out of obligation is something I despise
  • Less time bickering over discussing what is the “perfect” gift to give to give to relatives we hardly know, because we only see less than a handful of times a year.
  • Christmas day is spent playing games as a family, being together, enjoying each other.  It’s not spent in separate areas of the house playing with our new “things” by ourselves.
  • MORE TIME TO FOCUS ON JESUS.  He is the reason, for the season.

My hope is that someday all of our Christmas celebrations are *truly* about Jesus.  I love getting together with our families.  But when it becomes about “having” to get together {and no one ever has the time, so we’re often just squeezing it in quick}, it doesn’t feel like it’s about Jesus at all.  That just feels like a burden.

Please my friends, do not be burdened by Christmas.  Not in a materialistic way, anyway.

Design: Ikea Shelf for Cars

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I’ll start with letting you know, this little project would’ve been cheaper, had we made the shelves ourselves.  That was our (my husband’s) intention.
We were at Ikea back in the spring and I really wanted these Ribba Ledges.
 I told my husband how cute they would be for books and cars.  I told him I wanted 2 for each kid.  To which he responded “No way, look at how expensive that would be.  I can make those way cheaper, and we already have the white paint”.
True.  But I know that well meaning man.  I knew by his tone that these shelves weren’t getting made.
Nevertheless, I agreed, like a good wife should.  Well, I made a deal really.  I think we may have even shook on it.   I told him that if the shelves weren’t built by the next time we came to Ikea that I was going to buy them.
I won.. sort of.. I mean I got the shelves, but sure paid a lot more than I wanted to.
We got these two long ones for the boy, then put a small one for books in my oldest daughter’s room.

A Beautiful Moment

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I’m so thankful for God’s grace.   Today was a complete opposite of yesterday.   I realized it this afternoon.  
I was in the kitchen, wearing an apron {like all good housewives do} with my hands covered in flour as I rolled out gingerbread cookies. In the other room I hear the baby playing happily in her playpen.  I know the little boy is laying on the floor coloring. He’s at the feet of his big sister, who is laying across the couch reading her Junie B. Jones book out loud for her younger siblings to hear.
Life is precious. Moments like these are the things I live for.  Praise you God for this moment of happiness.

18 inch doll PJ shirt & tu-tu

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My oldest daugther has been wanting to learn how to sew.  We decided this week to go ahead and tackle her first sewing machine project!

Because it was her first project we started off simple. We took a onesie that no longer fit her baby sister and hemmed it into a PJ shirt for the doll.

Thrifty and fun!

After that we stitched up a little piece of elastic and tied tons and tons and tons…and tons more of tulle around it to form a tutu!

Success!  & the mother daughter bonding time was precious!

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