The January Wrap Up

January was filled with worry and waiting, so I'm glad it's behind us! There were good moments, but life last month was very overwhelming. Thankfully, it ended well, which is the only thing that matters!

I headed into 2021, hoping to recap each week on the blog, like I used to do before life became too busy. I started the year strong, but a a week later, I gave up! So here I am, wrapping up 3 weeks in one post. Maybe I'll get back on track one day...

So here's to January. Lots of worry, lots of waiting, a surgery, a recovery, weekday runs, cold days, cute puppies, back to school, and a whole bunch of snow! It really does help to look back on the month, and see all the good that could be found in each day!

Fall Favorites

It's nearing the middle of November, and while everyone else seems to have decorated for Christmas already, I'm still fully embracing Fall! If there's anything having five children has taught me, it's to quit rushing things, and enjoy the moment. I love everything about the holiday season, from Halloween to New Year's Day, but I'm still enjoying pumpkins, Fall decor, and our Thankful Tree! And on Thanksgiving night, you will find all of us in Christmas pajamas!

If you read my last post from last month, you already know that life has been very chaotic around here. I just haven't had time to blog, and I had to fight through the guilt and realize that I would get back to it when I had a chance. Life has changed even more since I wrote that post three weeks ago. I now have a teenager at home with me every single day, doing cyber school. I'll share more details on the why and how soon. It's still very new to us!

Currently, my nap-protester is actually sleeping, my sick self is stuck on the couch trying to get rest, and my kids are off school for the next two days. It's surprisingly calm in my home for 8 PM on a Sunday night. It's the perfect time to share a few of my favorite things this Fall!

8 Easy Ways To Deal With Pet Messes

This post is sponsored by The Libman Company but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Like many pet owners, we believe our pets are valuable family members. Our already large family of 7 also includes a gentle giant - an English Mastiff named Ella - and 3 indoor rabbits. Our home is loud, chaotic, and crowded, but full of so much love! And even though our beloved pets bring so much joy to our lives, they also make messes!

With five young children, a 150+ pound dog, and three 12 pound rabbits, there is pretty much ALWAYS a mess to clean up! (Remember that time our rabbits had babies? See the picture above!) If I don't stay on top of it, cleaning can quickly become very overwhelming. I'm not one of those people who can spot a mess and ignore it - instead, it will bother me until it's cleaned up.

Now that it's Spring AND shedding season, the mess has doubled! If I'm not sweeping up chihuahua-sized hairballs from my giant dog, I'm sweeping up freshly mowed grass and mopping muddy footprints/pawprints that are tracked through my house. What does a (fur) mama gotta do to keep things clean around here?!?

I'm teaching my children to clean up their own messes (or at least help), but that doesn't quite work with our pets! Here's how I tackle those pet messes...

Sweet November - A Photo Recap

I said it before, but November went by ridiculously fast! Then again, that's every month these days. The truth is, the more kids you have, the busier life is, and the faster the months (and years) go by!

November was filled with so many sweet everyday moments, but we also celebrated Dylan's birthday and Thanksgiving, had many school events (which ended up on my smartphone's camera roll), Dylan started basketball, and we kicked off the holiday season! Because our December has been so busy, I've only been able to blog once a week, so I figured a short and sweet life lately post was the way to go!

Here's a glimpse at life in November...