We think HE should come creek surfing!

Yay for small houses!

Each boy's bunk is built into a nook in the loft. Beneath each bunk, there are wooden crates that act as drawers. Four drawers hold that boy's clothes and one holds that boy's treasures - sling shots, rocks, wallets, football cards, flashlights, pocket knives, you can imagine... Also beneath each bunk is a spot for storing a bean bag. The large stuff - football pads/helmets, airsoft equipment, etc. belongs in the shed. Also in the loft are bookshelves, paper, basic art supplies, and three desks. There is also a flatscreen tv (which doubles as a desktop computer monitor), ps3 (which is used with careful consideration), and a computer.

Hello Chel! It's good to have you here! Thank you for such kind words!

Yes!

Yay for three boys! Oh, yes, boys come with sticks included, I think! Thank you for the kind words about the blog - yes, it does take some time, but my love of words, story, and connecting with people like you makes it a favorite part of my days. The braided rug was a road-side score!

I had totally forgotten that I made it for your birthday one year! Good memories!

Good job rockin' the curd! I'm so happy to hear that it was a score all the way around!

It's good to have you here, Grace!

Welcome, Shopping Queen! Glad to have you here!

Welcome to the blog, Sabine! Yes, apron-front sinks did show up in many of my kitchen inspiration photos! In the end, I chose a stainless sink for a few reasons: - It's forgiving - since we don't have a dishwasher, I knew we would be hand-washing our dishes. We have three boys who would be learning how to wash by hand. Stainless lessens the dish breakage factor ;) - A standard double bowl seems easier to use for hand washing - wash/rinse in one sink, set to drip in the other (there's a stainless dish rack in the bottom of the right-hand sink) - no need for a dish drainer to sit out on the counter. - Budget - Everything always comes down to budget! We had a fixed amount of money that we had to work with. In the end, a more expensive sink was exchanged for a lesser expensive one in order to put that money toward other features that were important to us. By all means, use the in-counter knife storage slits in your next kitchen! I love them!

Hello Linnor! I've found that when everything has a place, and you only have the things you use and love, it is much easier to keep your home/kitchen clean and orderly. Because we have no dishwasher, I made a habit early on of washing, drying, and putting away all dishes right after each meal. This isn't very hard, as I wash all cooking/prep dishes as I make the meal, so mealtime dishes are generally only the ones that are on the table. Each family member washes, dries, and puts away his/her own meal dishes,so the after-meal clean-up isn't onerous for anyone.

Four boys? How FUN! I suppose the key thing that we've learned about practical storage for any of our things - boys AND parents - is that we've only kept what we really love. In the process, we've found that what we REALLY love doesn't add up to that much as far as material things go. In the loft, each boy has a wooden crate for his personal treasures,he has books in the bookshelf,there are pens, pencils, markers, paper, paints in drawers, there's a t.v., PS3, and desktop computer (which are used with careful consideration), there's a bin full of LEGO, and then for the big stuff (i.e. football pads, helmets, airsoft battle equipment, etc), there's a spot in the shed.

I'm glad you've found something that inspires you here! Although I'm not able to show the loft as of yet, I suppose one thing I can say is that our boys have always shared a room. Literally, since whomever was the infant at the time was 3 months old (or could no longer fit in the Moses basket beside our bed), they've shared a room, so there was not a learning curve for them in going from separate bedrooms to sharing one here in the cabin. As for reads,this may be a good topic for a future blog post, but here are a few that may help to get you going: - Organizing From the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern (and any/all of her other books) - Minimalism: Lead a Meaningful Life by Ryan Nicodemus and Joshua Fields Milburn Note: I haven't read this one, but after we had already simplified our lives, I met Joshua and Ryan and would recommend this book for it's step-by-step instructions if you are just starting out. - The Little House on the Prarie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Honestly, I'm not sure of another book that displays simple living more openly and practically than do Laura's.

Thanks so much, Claire! And, ooo, those 5ks sound brutal!

Those are some very touching words, Jennifer!

You're one of my besties, Beth!

I expected to cry, too, knowing all that this race held for me...thanks, Angela!

Welcome, Amie! Thanks for saying hello!

Hello Cynthia! Such kind, kind words you've written - thank you! Yes, I agree that, because your home should be a reflection of you and your lifestyle and interests, you and only you can make the decisions about what you want or need in it. Keeping a handmixer sounds like a perfect decision for your kitchen!

Hello Marleen! The compliments on the house mean so much! About the chalkboard canvas, it is working well! I purchased the canvas already stretched and primed with gesso. I painted two or three coats of chalkboard paint, with drying time between. There is a texture to it from the weave of the canvas, but that's part of the appeal, I think! It erases easily with a standard chalkboard eraser.

Yes, a feeling of accomplishment is a powerful thing!