Binkies and Briefcases

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Master Bathroom Ideas

By: Stephanie2 Comments

Are you sick of hearing about my kitchen plans yet? I thought I would change it up a bit and show you some of my ideas for our master bathroom. Who knows if the budget will allow my dreams to come true in the immediate future, but if I had my druthers, this is how it would go down:

This is our plan for the layout. It’s not a huge bathroom, but it is a 5 piece, which I appreciate. I didn’t want a huge bathroom. The master in our last house was pretty large and used to take me over an hour and a half to clean every week, which was no fun, but after sharing one main bathroom for the last 3 years, I really miss having our own master!

The finishes are up in the air for the moment because it is one of the last areas where we haven’t made compromises for the sake of staying on budget. If we hit rock while digging the foundation, it will significantly change our plans and we will probably wind up with builder grade stuff to change out later. Let’s just all cross our fingers and hope that doesn’t happen, because I would much prefer….

a freestanding tub 

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an old fashioned penny tile floor

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Polished nickel fixtures. (I really like oil rubbed bronze hardware on cabinets and doorknobs, but I hate it in a bathroom. I really can’t stand it on shower doors. Is that weird? My fixtures and doorknobs totally aren’t going to match, but I’m at peace with that.)

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  A nice double vanity with separate mirrors. I’m loving the kind that are open on the bottom.

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a cool blue/green/gray paint color

Benjamin Moore Wythe Blue 

and a glass shower with subway tile 

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I can’t wait until I’m showing you guys real pictures of our house and not just figments of my imagination. 🙂

Getting Through the Terrible Threes: Advice from a Parenting Specialist and Mom of Three

By: Stephanie4 Comments

 

Making it Through the Terrible 3's Without Losing Your Cool. Really practical advice from a professional parenting specialist who is also a mom of three young kids.

I may be a professional parenting specialist, but that doesn’t mean I have perfect children.

Lately, the terrible threes have hit our house hard. (Does anyone else think three is soooo much worse than two?)

Don’t let that angelic face fool you.

Lately there has been plenty of this…

and some of this…

She even ran away and hid  at the end of a church function with hundreds of people. One of our friends heard her laughing in the bathroom (which we had searched three times!) because we couldn’t find her.

Do you ever wonder how the “professionals” handle their own children? I can only speak for myself, but I do have a system.

The process I like to use has three steps: Cue, Do, Review

Of course before we can get to any of the steps, the parent (in this case, me) has to remain calm. Can I tell you a secret? I like to pretend they’re not my kids. Not to rid myself of responsibility, just so that I make sure to watch the way I talk to them. I try to talk to my own children with the control and authority I would have used in my classroom when discipline was necessary. My teacher-means-business voice is always more affective than my there-goes-mommy-yelling-at-us-again voice.

Once you have it together…

Step 1: Cue
If you are familiar with Love & Logic, this is where you would use the “uh-oh” song. Just give them some kind of verbal signal to tell them that what they are doing is not a good idea. You might even want to ask, “Do you really think that’s a good idea?”

Step 2: Do
You already gave them a cue to stop, but they did it anyway. Now it’s your turn to do something. Give them a time out, take the toy that they are fighting over away from them, or hand them a soapy rag and have them start scrubbing the crayon off the wall.

Step 3: Review
I know that Love & Logic advocates letting the kids figure it out for themselves, but the educator in me just can’t pass up an opportunity to review a learning experience. The important thing is to watch what you say and how and when  you say it.

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      Review after they are calm. Don’t dwell on what they did wrong, lecture them on why they were punished, or scold them further. Instead, take the time to show them you are tuned in to how they feel and have a moment of reflection together.
  •  Example: “You seem to be pretty frustrated today. It can be hard to share when you don’t want to. Let’s think about what you could do next time.”
  • Non-Example:  “Do you know why you are in time-out? That is the fifth time this week that you took a toy away from your sister! You are so naughty sometimes! Mommy had to put you in timeout to teach you a lesson. I hope you learned something. Next time you need to share!”  (Don’t we all sound like that mom sometimes!)
 
All kids are going to misbehave. It’s part of their job description, but I find that when I am able to do this consistently it really makes a big difference. It helps me maintain a sense of authority but also allows for grace and forgiveness. I want them feeling bad about their poor decisions, but good about their relationship with me, and confident in their ability to make a different choice next time. Those things will become even more important as they grow into their teenage years.

What about your family? Do you have any tricks you use with your kids?

linking to A to Z

 

Building the Dream: Kitchen Advice

By: Stephanie1 Comment

Ladies, I need advice.

Practical advice, please. I don’t really care about a wine ‘frig, but I might consider a pot filler if those of you who have those are actually using them.

Planning Our Dream Kitchen

We need to get this kitchen design hashed out so we can get a better idea about our plumbing and electrical and our overall budget because kitchens are ‘spensive, y’all.

This is what I am thinking. Yes, I like to draw in Microsoft Paint like a 5th grader. Sketch-Up, smetch up.

 
 
 
 
 
I got most of my inspiration from this kitchen from my favorite architect, Stephen Alexander.
 
 

Things I know I want:

  • Deep farmhouse sink
  • 5 or 6 burner gas stove
  • Decorative range hood. 
  • Built-in microwave not over the stove. (I a pet peeve about having the microwave over the stove. I steam veggies and stuff in the microwave while I’m also cooking on the stovetop. I don’t need to be standing in front of a running microwave all the time. That’s supposed to be really bad for you. but I want to save the counter space, so I like the idea of having it built-in.)
  • A big, huge island with a breakfast bar that will seat at least 3. 
  • The dishwasher located to the right of the sink. I’ve had them on both sides, and to the right is so much easier when you are right-handed. 
  • Several deep drawers in lieu of bottom cabinets (my aunt Chott’s kitchen is like this and it makes  a big difference)
  • Some open shelving because I collect a lot of decorative stoneware
  • I like having an appliance garage in the corner, but Eddie hates them. (party pooper)

So now here is where I need your advice:

Do I really want a double oven? Of course, I want one, but if you have it, how often do you use the second oven, for real? Is it really worth thousands of extra dollars?

Do you have a pot filler? Do you use it? I think I want one and it would be pretty easy to install because there will already be plumbing for the laundry area on the other side of the stove.

Do you think I’m going to regret two-tone cabinets? (different kinds for main kitchen & island) I kind of love it at the moment, but I’m still worried it’s too trendy. 

How well does butcher block hold up? I’d love to do the whole kitchen in quartz or Corrianne (not a big fan of the idea of granite or marble because if I pay that much, I don’t want to also have the extra work to maintain it and I don’t like the idea of bacteria getting into the porous surfaces. Plus marble stains.) but I’m not sure that’s in the budget.

Do you have your trash can built into a cabinet? I like the idea of having it out of sight, but I don’t like the idea of giving up my cabinet space. 

Any other advice or tips that you think might help us out in the future?

For example, my Uncle Sonny told us to make sure if you install recessed lights, put them above the countertop. If they are behind you, you will constantly be working in your own shadow.

UPDATE:
Less than a week after I posted this plan, Stephen Alexander posted this on their Facebook page: the EXACT kitchen that was in my head! How cool is that? 

***Check out our completed IKEA kitchen and how it held up after two years! We also DIYed our range hood and installed a brick backsplash since we moved in. Plus, here’s my chemical-free method for keeping my white farmhouse sink clean.

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