Stephanie, Author at Binkies and Briefcases • Page 53 of 80

Master Bathroom Ideas

July 20, 2012 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


source

an old fashioned penny tile floor


source

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.)


source

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


source

a cool blue/green/gray paint color


Benjamin Moore Wythe Blue

and a glass shower with subway tile


source

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

July 13, 2012 By: Stephanie4 Comments

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.

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

July 13, 2012 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.

This Day Is In the Toilet

July 11, 2012 By: Stephanie1 Comment

Literally.

Actually, it would be lovely if something would get in the toilet.

This is mostly the story of me being a volunteer sanitation worker. You’re welcome to not read it.

I love being a stay at home mom. I really, truly do. I love that we got to spend an hour at the park this morning an come home for icecream cones. I love that my kids can play in the back yard in the middle of the day. I love being around for every first step, first word, and so on.

I just never realized there was going to be so much poop. Soooooo. Much. Poop. And floor scrubbing.

This all happened within the past 24 hours….

We came home from school supply shopping to discover there was doggie diarrhea in not just one, but several areas of our house. Yuck! So of course I cleaned the floors.

Penny had a diaper incident that included major on the clothes leakage.

Nicholas pooped on the potty! (Yay! this is always a big deal, still, because little dude has major GI issues)

Said bowel movement clogged toilet.

The toilet then proceeded to overflow all over the bathroom floor. So I cleaned the floor again.

After I cleaned that up, I brought Abby into the bathroom to go potty before nap time. I pulled down her Pull-up and guess what dropped right out onto the freshly cleaned bathroom floor? Yes. More poop.

So I cleaned the floor again.

After nap time Abby wanted to go outside to play, so we went to get a new Pull-UP and she peed all over the living room floor. Then she stepped in it. Then she started walking. Then I had a bunch of tiny pee footprints to clean up. So I cleaned the floor AGAIN.

It was worth it for moments like these

(Let that be a lesson to anyone who makes me scrub their bodily fluid off my floors twice in one day, I will post your cutest/most embarrassing naked baby pictures on the internet. And it might even be worth it.)

How To Set Up a Homeschool Nook

July 10, 2012 By: Stephanie4 Comments

I taught elementary school for several years before leaving the classroom to stay home with my kids. Now that we have decided to homeschool I’m excited to break out some of my supplies.

Once we move into the new house, there will be a dedicated office/homeschool room, but for now I need to work with a nook in the dining room. That means bare essentials.

These are what I would consider to be the bare essentials for a primary classroom. (We are about to start kindergarten.)

Each child needs a dedicated work space. I also think they need their own supply boxes because it gives them a sense of ownership.

An alphabet chart, number chart (or hundreds chart for older kids) and a calendar. I also need to add a number line under that alphabet chart.

Keeping a portfolio for each child to assess their progress is really important as well.

A word wall is essential. It’s also a good idea to label stuff around the house, the word “door” over the door for example.

I like to color code my word walls by letter for young kids and by subject area for older ones. It’s also really important to provide easy access to tons of books.

If your children are reading and you would like an easy way to teach them how to select an appropriate book for their level, tell them to open to a page in the middle of the book. Hold up five fingers. Read the page. Every time you come to a word you don’t know put down a finger. If all of your fingers are down at the end of the page, the book is too hard. If none are down it might be too easy.

Calendar math is important for early math concepts like number identification and counting as well as learning days and months and concepts of time like yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I also like to add a straw to a basket for each day of school. Once you get past day ten, you can start grouping the straws with a rubber band in groups of ten, then, as the year goes on, by hundreds. It makes a good visual representation of ones, tens, and hundreds for them.

A great tip is to use a cheap clothing rack as a chart hanger. Commercial chart hangers are essentially the same thing, just a little larger and heavier. You can get a clothing rack at Ikea for $10 or maybe even cheaper at a yard sale, but a real chart hanger will set you back at least $50.

This week (mid July) is a great time to stock up on school supplies because Staples is having their 1 cent sale, which is by far my favorite sale of all time. Crayons, pencils, paper, notebooks folders, etc. all on sale for between $0.01 and $1.00.

So far my kids’ favorite thing about homeschool….clothes are optional.

The Look For Less: Pottery Barn vs. Ikea

July 10, 2012 By: Stephanie1 Comment

As I have nothing but time on my hands as we wait for permits etc. I’m doing what most girs in my situation would do…imaginary decorating. 🙂

But a brand new house means a lot less money in our pockets so I’m trying to find cheaper versions of stuff I love.

For example…

the Pottery Barn Basic Sofa in Brushed Canvas: $1,200 (on sale)

Compared to the Ikea EKTORP Sofa in Svanby Beige: $600

The Pottery Barn Tanner Cube: $250 each

Compared to the VITTSJO Nesting Tables: $60 for a set of 2

Pottery Barn Cole Task Floor Lamp: $200 (the closet look to the picture they are currently selling)

Compared to the Ikea BRASA Floor lamp: $70 (and a closer match to the original anyway)

Pottery Barn Heathered Chenille Jute rug $450 (on sale) for 8’x10′

Compared to Ikea’s TARNBY flatwoven, natural rug: $150 for a 7’x10’ish size

That means $2,550 for the Pottery Barn version as compared to $950 for the Ikea version.

Not bad for less than half the price.

Inverted Blueprint with Picasa

July 8, 2012 By: Stephaniecomment

By far my most popular post of all time was this Resoration Hardware knock-off blueprint.

Believe it or not, this thing has gotten thousands of hits and it is still being pinned on Pinterest a few times every week, which is very flattering, but I feel bad because the free software I told you to use in the tutorial doesn’t exist any more.

Fear not, I’m here today to tell you that you can still do this for free with Google’s photo editing software, Picasa.

Just download Picasa and chose any black and white image you want. This is the floor plan for our new house.

All you need to do is open the image in Picasa

Click the tab that looks like a blue square with the paintbrush and go to the “Pencil Sketch” option.

Next go to the green square and chose the “Invert Colors” option.

Now go back into “Pencil Sketch” and play around until you like the way it looks. You can also click on the tab that looks like a half black sun to change the light and shadows if you want to get fancy.

Yay! Still free and easy. Or if you have lots of extra cash to throw around, you could always buy the original from Restoration Hardware for $1,000.

linking to Beth’s Tute’s & Tips

Potties and Pancakes

July 7, 2012 By: Stephaniecomment

This week Centsational Girl is hosting a Pinterest Challenge

(as if I needed another reason to recreate ideas from Pinterest)

I have been wanting to try to recreate Beth’s fancy pancakes for a while

Also, this morning we started “undies weekend” for Abby. If you’ve have a toddler, you know. The weekend you move into underwear. Scary.

The most important thing about potty training a kid is keeping a sense of humor. And also bribery.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Oh yes I did.

Introducing…potty pancakes!

First, it’s important to involve the potty-ee

If your hands don’t look like this you’re doing it wrong.

Sometimes big brothers can take a break from playing with airplanes long enough to help a bit.

A is for Abby… Heart is for loves…weird shaped pancake is the potty! (with a strategically placed blueberry for visual effect. Oh yeah. We went there.)

Other family members got non-potty related shapes like planets and lady bugs.

They were a big hit with the five and under crowd. 🙂

Building The Dream: Patience & A Final Floor Plan

July 6, 2012 By: Stephaniecomment

There is progress happening…slowly.

First, we finalized our floor plan. We are buying plans from architect Donald Gardner, but we are making quite a few changes. The biggest change will be the roofline. The ceiling in the living room will be vaulted horizontally instead of vertically and the master bedroom does not have a vaulted ceiling. Changing the roof will save thousands of dollars in the cost of trusses.

Finalizing the Floor Plans

The above floor plan is the closest we have to our updated version. We are still removing a few windows to save money and there will be a bigger closet in the study.

Also, we’ve decided to go with one huge, flat island in the kitchen instead of an angled breakfast bar.

We are still waiting on the bank to get back to us about the final approval, but a lot of people seem to be on vacation this week. This is our biggest headache at the moment. Banks don’t love construction loans so much anymore with the current state of the housing market and economy.

Meanwhile, Eddie has made arrangements for a tree removal service to come to take down the trees that need to go so that the new pole can be installed for the electricity. Our wires will be trenched underground, but they need to put another pole on the street so that our wires have somewhere to tie in.

He is also working on the last thing (I think) that needs to be approved before we can get the building permit, the stormwater plan. Until we started building, I thought all of this was just included in the sewer plan, but I have learned that you need separate plans for sewer, erosion and sediment, and storm or rainwater. Lucky for me I married a civil engineer who does this for a living.

Anyway, are you seeing that master closet? I think that might be my favorite part of the whole house. That and having more bathrooms.

Fingers crossed that we will be able to break ground by the end of August.

Can We be BFFs?

July 5, 2012 By: Stephanie2 Comments

If we’re going to be friends there are a few things I’m going to need from you…

(in no particular order)
1. Your house is not allowed to be cleaner than mine
2. If you have 4 kids and are a size 2 and manage to get your hair and makeup done every day, it’s not going to work out between us.
3. You should be able to finish this line, “Whatever happened to predictability?…”
4. Those born later than 1990 need not apply.
5. Be able to tell me with a straight face when my boobs are leaking.
6. Fell free to discipline my kids in front of me (not physically, obviously, but they need reminders about manners and respect come from people besides just their mother) However, if we are not BFFs back off.
7. You must genininely like my husband and my kids
8. I’m probably going to say or do weird things that make you feel awkward (I like to think I’m kind of like Ethel Mertz meets Zooey Deschanel-only way less talented and fashion forward than Ms.Deschanel)
9. Speaking of Zooey Deschanel, you have to watch New Girl. And Big Bang Theory.
10. I have a zero tolerance policy for racism, sexism, homophobia, and stupidity of any kind.

What requirements do you have in a bestie?

SUBSCRIBE

Master Bathroom Ideas

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

Building the Dream: Kitchen Advice

This Day Is In the Toilet

How To Set Up a Homeschool Nook

The Look For Less: Pottery Barn vs. Ikea

Inverted Blueprint with Picasa

Potties and Pancakes

Building The Dream: Patience & A Final Floor Plan

Can We be BFFs?

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