A Fabulously Flawed Life

Keeping the Family Room clean can be a time-consuming project. Try this: I have a rule that no toys (except baby toys) are allowed downstairs. We have bedrooms and a game room for them. I also keep a cute basket under my side table and as I go along during the day I'll pick up the toy, sock, or other stranded item and throw it in the basket. About once a week I'll carry it upstairs and put it away. This has really cut down on the stress of running up and down the stairs. I'll also get my kids involved and when we're cleaning up (at 6:00 right before dad comes home) I'll have them drop the items in the basket as well. That way we can get it done faster and with less resistance. My basket was completely full so today I sorted through it and put everything away! What tips do you have for keeping your family room clean?

We made it home. While we were in Lake Jackson we were able to stay with Jason's mom and step-dad. We all had such a fun time and it was so nice to be together again. We got to see Nana (Jason's grandma - pictured above) twice which was a real treat. With all the loss of loved ones this summer, I can't stop thinking about how important it is to be prepared. I made this Personal Records Booklet that you can print off free, click here . I'm going to send a copy to both my parents. I have no idea what funeral arrangements they would want and I think it's so important that a funeral reflects the personality of the loved one. We were able to take the SeaDoos out on the lake twice over the weekend. Here's my favorite picture. It's of Jason and Davis. They're having some great bonding time this summer and it's made a big difference in their relationship. Man, Davis is getting so grown up! Right when we got home, I had to wash the country off the Toby. Right...

I'm still in Lake Jackson. The funeral was absolutely beautiful. We got there early and greeted everyone we needed to. There were so many wonderful memories and stories shared. Jason's Uncle has 2 daughters, both in their 20's but not married. The oldest is my height and you could tell she was the one in charge of the funeral. The other daughter was tall with Lisa's build (my sister). I couldn't help but think of Lisa and me at our parents funeral. Later I got to thinking about all the logistics of having a funeral. When I get home, I'm going to e-mail my parents and find out what their wishes are for their funerals. At this point I wouldn't really have an idea of who they would want to speak or even where they want to be buried . I have decided who I want to have speak at my funeral and that I want pink flower clips handed to every woman that attends. (ha ha) I know, so fun. I think the import aspect of a funeral is having the person's personality ref...

You Are Cheesecake Rich, sweet, and simply perfect. You're not boring - you're just the best! What Dessert Are You Most Like? My brunch was a success yesterday! I had so much fun, I forgot to take pictures. Shoot! There ended up being 4 adults and 12 kiddos. The house was a little loud but it was a delight to have my friends over and my kids entertained. One of my friends just had hip surgery so I watched her kiddos for the rest of the day so she could have a break. We got bad news yesterday. Jason's uncle was killed in a motorcycle accident on his way home from his mom's birthday party. It's such a tragedy . I feel like death has surrounded me this summer and it's getting closer and closer. First my friends In-laws died in a car accident, then another friend's mom died of a heart attack, now Jason's Uncle of a motorcycle accident. I can't help but worry. Loosing Jason is my biggest fear! Thankfully last year Jason and I got a living trust. It'...

When my dad's in town I try to come up with a project for him to do. He's extremely talented and he likes to be busy. A couple months ago, I asked him to make me a couple tables and he did a great job! I finally painted the one for Davis' room blue. Here's the before shot. It was really easy to make. My dad used a piece of left over shelving (ply wood), screwed on legs that we bought at Home Depot, and he finished it off with some molding. I calked it and spray painted it blue. Not an hour later, Davis used packing tape to tape his Bionicles in place. Geez . (The note on the floor said, "Do not touch".) Looking on the bright side, at least he didn't use duct tape. I still need to paint the one my dad made for My Loving Family doll house. I'm going to paint it black. I had him put the molding higher on this table so the doll house couldn't be pushed off. (There isn't any molding on the back.) It's now at the perfect height for op...

I read this book years ago and it changed the way I discipline/reward my kids, reward myself, and even reward my husband. Davis' love language is gifts. He loves the simplest thing like a sticker, to a new craft, to a new Bionicle . Dylan's love language is touch. He's my snuggle bug. If I snuggle with him and watch cartoons for 15 min every morning, he's a much happier kid. After I read this book I realized how important that was. My honey's love language is also touch (he he). Enough said. ;-} My love language is quality time. This has helped me figure out what "fills my cup". I enjoy going out with the girls, dating my husband, and talking to my friend at lunch. I try to be sure I do those things for myself. What's your love language? Click here to take the quiz.

You Are Coke A true original and classic, you represent the best of everything you can offer. Just the right amount of sweet, just the right amount of energy... you're the life of the party. Your best soda match: Mountain Dew Stay away from:Dr Pepper What Kind of Soda Are You? I'm feeling a little under the weather today. So I'm leaving you with my favorite soda! Actually, I've been swtiching from Diet Coke w/ lime and Diet Berry Dr. Pepper.

We finally enjoyed 6 consecutive days of sunshine. Yeah! We spent almost every day at the pool, friends pool, or spray park. I'm calling this a Grandparent post because it just about the kiddos. So what do you get when you combine mint dental floss and a binki ? Drake found out, a minty binki ! Dylan's such a cheese when it comes to the camera. He took a break from Webkins to make a silly face. Davis designed his best K- nex yet. It's a helicopter with a motorized propeller and landing gear. I swear that boy is gifted. Guess who had to move the storage place for the pens? Yep, me. I can no longer keep all my pens in a convenient place in the study drawer. Drake can now open the drawer and take off the caps. He drew all over himself. Luckily not on my carpet. As for me I've been reading this book on Michelangelo . It's not a thrilling read (per se ) but for some crazy reason I can't put it down. I'm completely intrigued by his life. The boy had some seriou...

I can't help but be completely amazed by this blogging world. I've been inspired, uplifted, challenged, humored, empowered, and engaged the past month and a half. When I decided to start my own blog I wanted to contribute to the blogosphere as my "authentic self". I didn't want to pretend to be someone I'm not or try to be someone I perceived others would want me to be. After going back and reading my archives I realized that I haven't really done that. Sure, I've been honest in all my posts and I've had a LOT of fun. However, I feel that I have only shown you the best part of myself. Maybe that's the point of blogging. Maybe I should view it as my personal grateful journal that I expose to the world. If that's the point, then skip this post all together. But for some crazy reason, I feel the need to express to you why I adopted the motto "Create your own Experience". I've been trying to convince one of my friends to start bl...

A blog "list of questions" for fun today! I want to thank Onehm for the list. 1. How old is your blog? I started blogging May 27, 2007. I'm still a newbie. 2. How would you categorize your blog? It's a place I can go for girl time. Since I have all males in my life, I share home decor, girls nights with friends, tips, organizing, and gift ideas. I share funny stories and cute pics of my kids but it's mainly girl talk. 3. Are the photos you post Photoshopped or otherwise altered? No. I'm too impatient to photoshop . If I take a picture specifically for my blog, it's up in minutes. ;-} 4. Do you lie in your blog? No. I'm a terrible lair. It is something that I'm currently working on though. I've been trying to give " Lost " answers answers lately. Mainly because I'm too open with people and because I think it's terribly funny. 5. Are you passive-aggressive in your blog? I don't think so. 6. Do you ever threaten to quit ...

I finally got about 200 slides converted onto a CD and am in the process of making a Shutterfly book of my childhood. Here's one of my favorite pictures of my brother Barry. Naked on the counter! Bro this is for you, hope you're still enjoying my blog! (ha ha ) I've always been a good kisser. I guess it's because I started out young. ;-} This is my FAVORITE picture of my childhood. It has all the things I love: my dad, flowers, and a good road trip. My dad looks so young and full of life in this picture.

My kids are addicted to string! A ball of yarn equal hours of play here at the Turk house. They've just added a new element to the string games, it's call the "Yank and Laugh!" Tie yarn to Drake's binkie and as you can imagine the tricks were endless. I will say Drake was a trooper, he loved it! Fun with the string usually ends with my upstairs turned into one big spider web. Their favorite thing to do is to tie toys onto it and dangle it from the banister. Dylan's new thing is giving Drake piggie -back rides. It's so cute!! Here's Davis with is latest K- nex design, a race car with a working motor! He was so proud and he asked me to take his picture. He then told me that I can put it on my site so my friends can see it. (Too funny!!)

Boys Cowboy Bathroom Master Bath Guest Bath This might be a silly post, but I'm looking for more towel decor ideas. Here's what Ihave in my house so far. I have one more bathroom to do something creative in and I need some suggestions. So my question to you is, "How do you hang your decorative towels?"

I am so excited about my new Layer's new shirt, the Ella! I can hardly stand it. It's a little pricey , which I'm a little bummed about. But I'm in heaven it's so beautiful! I think it will look so cute with a skirt and c apri's . I can't wait to wear it to Dinner Club and church. I think it's going to be a new staple in my "Dress Up" wardrobe. Click here to check out the Ella and the other New Summer Arrivals!

Thursday was such a fun day. Part of me wishes every day could be as perfect as yesterday. Parker came over to watch the kids so Lisa and I could finish my errands. I'm not a shopper and so when I do get out, I like to get everything done in one shot. Anyway, after the notary, lots of returns, and block buster, we had our favorite potato soup at Salt Grass. Yummy! Afterwards we headed over to Hobby Lobby for some decor brainstorming for her new house. Flower stems where half off so I got everything to finish up a center piece for my kitchen table. (I got the "vase" last week.) I'm not a pro at flower arranging by any stretch of the imagination, but I put my anal symmetry to work and here's how it turned out. That night, we went to see the Fray and had a blast! However, I will admit that it's the first time I've ever felt old. When we were walking in I overheard a girl ask this guy if he was a Sophomore. I turned to Lisa and said, "I think she means So...

Instead of taking the boys to a museum or the movies and spending tons of cash on a one time experience, I decided the money would be better spent on some new toys they'll enjoy daily. Well, our shopping trip to Toys R Us was a success and well deserved after the 4 hours of running errands. (Thank goodness I had my sister with me, or I would not have made it in a happy mood.) Drake is almost 16 months old and still does NOT wake up happy. I'll admit, it's pretty much driving me to a nervous break down starting my morning with him screaming every day! Since I'm pretty much desperate at this point, I bought a bunch of toys for Drake's crib. I'm hoping this ends my misery. I'm also planning on putting him in there a couple times during the day just to play. What do you think? Have any of you had this problem? D1 and D2 decided they wanted Ben10 toys. Which I was so excited about because that will complete our "set". You guys don't know this about...

I'm so lucky to have my sister, Lisa , staying with me again this week. She's a reading fanatic these days and was using a check I gave her as a book mark. Shameful! Not in my house! So I made her a black, red, and white bookmark. I decided to make me a pink and green one. You can never have too many. My friend Lisa (I know a lot of Lisa's) came over to work on our card swap and since I was on a roll, made her a teal and pink bookmark as well. (Doesn't it POP with that teal book.) Here's the full view. Click here for more pictures and directions on how to make. Here are the cards I made for my V.T. and card swap. I'll never forget the first homemade card I received. It was after giving a talk in church and a couple days later I got this beautiful card in the mail with the most heart-felt words inside. She had made this same card in maroon . Needless to say, this card is very dear to me. (Here's a close up view.) I still remember those sweet words Lori wrote...

When the boys are alone upstairs for any period of time, their creativity gets the better of them and you never know what you're going to encounter. Sunday, Davis & Dylan outdid themselves and designed our very own indoor put put golf course, complete with numbered animals. How else would we know what order to go in? :-} First you start by putting the ball through the root beer box (1st pic) and then through this maze of blocks. Once you reach the end of the hallway, there's a tricky maze of bins. Next, you put the ball into the Build-a-bear dog house. (They made a paper front with a hole in it. So great!) Take a quick break and pose for the camera, well at least Lisa did. :) For the final hole, you must hit the mall between the bins, up the ramp, into the Zoob box. It's tricky but it's possible! Thanks Davis and Dylan - we had a blast!