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Monday, February 8, 2010 Posted in 365, Family

Yesterday I tried to change the template on my blog and when I hit the new one the whole thing went blank. I could not get it back. Just plain white.

I started freaking out. That’s 4 years worth of blog.

I went up and woke up Andy in a panic. Fortunately he knows computer programming from college, and could go in and fix it. Whew.

See this little stinker? Yesterday I found these in my room

When I found them I knew who was responsible. So I went to ask him and he played dumb and denied like crazy. So I said, “Cole I know it was you.” Then he fessed up. “Blake was in your bathroom pooping and I had to poop and he locked the door. So I tried to use your earrings to pick the lock.” I didn’t have to ask why he didn’t use one of the other 3 bathrooms in the house. Mine has a tv.

Tags: 365, Cole, eva

by elisa

4 comments

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38/365

Sunday, February 7, 2010 Posted in 365, Family, Life

My poor Zoey girl. She really is pathetic. Even with her jacket on she just can’t deal with the snow. And then we all laugh at her because she can’t walk when it all balls up on her like this

I took her straight to the dog shower and had to soak her to melt her snow dingle-berries.

Right now Blake is sitting next to me playing the acoustic guitar- a medley of Green Day, Chili Peppers, Nirvana- I can’t tell you how cool it is to hear my son playing my fave bands. Anyway, Zoey hates the guitar. So she is laying next to me and growling the whole time. We laugh at her about that too. Poor girl.

Have I mentioned that Blake has started writing his own songs? So so cool.

——

I have realized that I am not using this 365 project to improve my photography at all. In fact I am going the other direction. Because I am taking more shots, I tend to treat it like a point and shoot and just grab and shoot. Oh well.

Today we took the kids to get their passports. They had been playing outside it the snow so they are all a mess of hat heads.

——–

I find that I am using the “Project Life” as less of a scrapbook and more of a place to put everyday things that tell our story.

Like my birthday cards from the boys

I have done a few pages of regular scrapbooking lately and it feels good! To get the stories down before I forget them

Because I do. Forget, that is.

———

when this happened today, Andy and I looked at each other and said, “crap”

not good

————-

There was some serious snow fort building going on in the front yard

the tongue out in concentration always cracks me up. I do the same thing

And while this was going on, a girl sat at the door and watched

She is not feeling 100%. Some kind of stomach issue.

And then look, a brother comes to say hello

And then another one

————–

And then Shiloh decided to kill her toy

And then the boys went sledding and Eva and I stayed home to clean house.

That’s a wrap on our Saturday.

Tags: 365, eva, scrapbooking, snow, zoey

by elisa

3 comments

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A few more

Saturday, February 6, 2010 Posted in Life

A few more answers to questions I have gotten on the blog or email

Yes, I use more natural cleaners. Method from Target or JR Watkins- love this one. I can’t stand heavy duty cleaners. I don’t understand when people spray all that stuff in their house and don’t think about how they are breathing it all in.

I use detergent from Costco, and I still use Windex on my granite counter because it is the only thing that takes away the fingerprints.

I try to use more natural products for my kids because they all have sensitive skin (including Eva) but I have let that go as they get older(ie I don’t make my 12 year old use Burts Bees). I don’t like fabric softener but my husband does so he uses it when he does a load, I never do.

Water is huge, we have a reverse osmosis system on our house and our last two houses as well. Clean water is a must.

I buy a lot of fruit frozen, because organic frozen fruit is often cheaper. I love frozen blueberries- I add them to yogurt or make smoothies.

Karen was right about buying from farmer’s markets. We have a great one here every saturday May-Oct in our little downtown.

So all of that said, we are not hard core. My kids eat fruit loops and fast food. They drink Jones soda and my oldest drinks Cokes sometimes.

I just try to make good choices when I can but not stress about the rest.

Tags: organic food

by elisa

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Buying organic

Saturday, February 6, 2010 Posted in Life

For those who have questions about buying organic for a large family, here is what I do.

Yes, it can be very expensive, so I tend to pick and choose what I buy organic.

Somewhere out there is a list of which fruits and veggies are the most heavily sprayed, I tend to go off that. And also what my kids are willing to eat.

I always buy organic apples because my kids love apples. And because they eat the skin of the apple. Things that have a protective outer cover (like bananas) are not high on my “buy organic” list because the outer covering tend to protect the part you eat from the pesticides. I like to buy organic red peppers (my fave veggie) but they are harder to find.

I *always* buy organic milk. If nothing else, you should do this. Esp. if you have girls.

Everything else I kind of pick and choose. If there are two options, I will buy the organic version. And check out your local grocery store. We have a Meijers here and they have there own organic house brand. I buy that A LOT. Everything from milk, to beans (my kids eat a lot of beans- could explains a few things….), jelly, chips….It’s cheaper than going to Whole Foods.

I hope that helps- I don’t want to go on and on about it. We also eat a ton of junk. We tend to be a “everything in moderation” kind of family.

And despite some of my best intentions, Cole has declared that the Jiff and white bread he got at a friends house was WAY better than the organic peanut butter and whole wheat bread he gets served at home. So he now refuses peanut butter sandwiches.

But I still try.

As for the coupons and such- I don’t do them. I can’t remember to take them or I end up at the store when I have 5 minutes between here and there. I would love to do them, but I found that they are mostly for the heavily processed foods anyway. Plus it wold require organization and I am more fly by the seat of my pants. Unfortunately.

Oh and try Costco if you have one. I find a ton of organic stuff there.

Tags: organic food

by elisa

4 comments

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37/365

Saturday, February 6, 2010 Posted in 365, Family, Life

A little snow fell around here yesterday

A scene from my hood

and my backyard

And it’s still snowing today. Looks like lots of sledding is going to be going on today

Zoey has issues when she goes out. She gets snowballs stuck to her legs.

These two wanted to ham it up for the camera

Do you think these two are the biggest trouble makers of the group? Yep, me too.

Tags: 365, Cole, eva, snow day, zoey

by elisa

4 comments

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36/365

Friday, February 5, 2010 Posted in 365, My Style

Todays pictures are brought to you by the handy dandy iPhone.

Yesterday morning I got the standard, “I have no jeans- you gave them all to Blake!!” from my 12 year old. I don’t think that I gave them to Blake but since they wear the same size I guess it’s possible.

Cole was getting picked up from K and headed to a friends house so I had a few hours. Eva and I decided to hit the outlet mall.

Everyone had their jeans on sale so Austin scored at American Eagle. I decided it was time to throw out all my jeans with holes- I have worn my jeans into the ground because I loved them so much. Some of them were the same age as Blake (10). I know. Bad.

So out they go and in came a couple pairs of replacements.

See part of my Dyson back there? Remember how I said I ordered it when I was supposed to ordering Xmas presents? Well I broke it a couple weeks after I got it. I am so hard on vacuums, I now own two broken ones. One of them I tried to duct tape back together.

Eva was not happy with me because after the outlet mall I made her go to the grocery store to stock up since we are expecting a snow storm.

That meant grabbing a few new sleds since our old ones didn’t make it home last time. Thinking they might be in a friends car

Cole wants to go sledding so bad he carried his around all night.

I found it here

And then he whined about sledding the whole time I was making dinner

We currently have NO snow. So no sledding. But it didn’t stop him from whining. And trying to sled off the couch.

It was basketball night so dinner was quick

And then Blake said, “look at Eva and her mad skillz!” Because she kept trying no hands

Those are some serious thighs!

“come on Blue Jackets, score!!” is what he was yelling as he watched the game from this interesting position

Pictures stop there as Blake had gotten dropped off at the wrong school for basketball and I had to go get him

For those asking the price on my dream house (and for those that are curious but afraid to ask)

I realize that housing prices are all relative- for instance when Pottery Barn was trying to woo Andy away from VS, there was no way we could make San Fran work. Without a significant downsize. Here in the midwest you get a little more bang for your buck.

That said, my dream house is old, historic, huge, and not cheap.

When the house was put on the market it was some where in the 9’s. And it sat. And sat. So they dropped it to 870 or so. It eventually sold for 770 back in 2007.

The house would easily sell for twice that here in Worthington where I currently live. Housing prices vary so much and it’s all based on location of course. Granville is far enough out that things are more affordable. And no, I don’t think 770 is terribly affordable but there are a ton out there that are.

I think part of what makes Granville also so alluring is that it is this little picturesque university town set down in a valley that is steep in history. And fun facts like haunted inns, underground railroad, and Jennifer Garner (she went to college there- how can you not love her?)

But as much I like to love on Granville, Worthington is pretty cool too. And a heck of a lot closer to Whole Foods. And we are happy here. For now

Tags: 365, Granville

by elisa

7 comments

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February 5, 2010 - 9:21 am Mary - I don't know if this will mean anything, but I love this blog. Your family is totally real, your baby girl is the cutest, your house is gorgeous, your work is top notch and hip- it looks like you have it all from where I'm sitting. I know the day to day can get a little crazy, and that you are running the show solo a lot of the time, but it seems like you are doing a fantastic job with a fantstic family. Makes me want to move to Ohio....:)

February 5, 2010 - 10:32 am karenr - love those thighs!!! 770 is a steal for that house & yard - not cheap, of course, but it is a dream. I also loved all the stairs around the college - totally would not need a gym membership....

February 5, 2010 - 10:43 am Kodi - I think Cole will be very happy today by the looks of this snow we are getting. We headed to the grocery at 7:30 a.m. Where did you get the sleds? We went to 3 places this morning and came home without!

February 5, 2010 - 11:11 am Elizabeth S. - we are getting almost 2ft if not a little more snow here in MD. Sleds will def. come in handy. Pottery Barn wanted your hubby for work??? OMG sooooooooo lucky!!!!!! I can't even imagaine! Love those fatty thighs. They always seem to look so much cuter on lil babies don't they? lol

February 5, 2010 - 12:07 pm kristen - I DO love Jen Garner! How fun to catch a peek into your evening. What fun kids you have! So glad you scored at the outlet mall. That's the BEST!

February 5, 2010 - 4:46 pm Phebe - Been enjoying your blog for quite a while now with not much time in the day to comment. High time I delurked and said something, huh? :-) Part of the reason for my enjoyment so to speak is we share some general similarities. I live in the Midwest (MO) and have 3 boys (15, 14, 4) and a 4mo baby girl! Love old houses with lots of architectural details - old windows, doors, trims, you name it! Live in a 1960s colonial. Sad thing is the house was so dated...... pink exterior!!! pink bathtub!! need I say more??? And oh yes! nasty carpeting all over........when we pulled up the carpet, we found excellent condition hardwood floors!!! HAPPY! Has the attraction of a screened in porch and sits on a acre (a pain to mow!). :-) We have 5 bedrooms so there's the advantage for our big family. However, since it is dated we're on a constant renovation path here. Takes time and money..... Looking at your dream house - we live in a University town and yes, great school district, etc. The formal DR furn. looks like ours now except that ours has a blonde sage finish to it - not dark wood. On another note, I told my hub. if we ever move I want one of those on my fave. Stewart Road and West Broadway (connected to the road we live on) - lovely old houses that speak volumes to me. Take a look at this http://www.taylor-house.com/ And sorry for rambling but Eva gives me so many visions of my little Maya in the following months!! Thanks for blogging! You have a lovely family. God bless!

February 5, 2010 - 6:15 pm Elizabeth in Atlanta - So I saw your post earlier in the week about organic food and see all your packaging from last night. . . and meant to ask you about this. . . isn't it super-expensive to buy organic for your family? I have 4 kids as well (3 boys) and we go through A LOT of food. I cook from scratch almost nightly. I have thought it's a good idea to go organic, but that would mean saying bye bye to coupons and sales and my grocery bill would be super-high. Any advice from anyone on this?

35/365

Thursday, February 4, 2010 Posted in 365, My Style

Are you getting tired of looking at houses yet? This will be the last one for a while. Lots of pictures here.

This house is my ultimate dream house. Like I said in the previous post, it was for sale a couple years ago. Let’s tour the outside.

The home was built by Harold Kier in 1912, as a wedding present for his new bride. They raised a family here and made it their residence until 1968.

Pictured below is the rear balcony, it also has one on the side

The house sits on about 2 acres

I don’t think I even have to say anything. It just doesn’t get much better than this

carriage house

Ready to go inside? I thought so. Here is the foyer

I love this kitchen. it’s not very big but that’s ok

back staircase

side porch, there is also a screened porch in back

library

formal living

Not crazy about the decor….

the windows!

formal dining

casual dining

Need to take a break while we go up the stairs?

landing

The house has 5 bedrooms

The master has a fireplace and access to the balcony

I love these original bathroom tiles and sink

media room

basement

Andy liked this part

I sure hope the people that bought it are taking good care of it for me!

Tags: 365, granville ohio, Kier house

by elisa

11 comments

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February 4, 2010 - 10:23 am Kodi - All I can say is "WOW!"

February 4, 2010 - 10:47 am tracey - I LOVE this house. I remember this house from when you posted about it a few years ago. that is how long I have loved your blog! and I so know what you mean when you say all the things about how older homes make you feel. I am the same way. I love the old doors and windows and hardware. they just don't make it like they used to!

February 4, 2010 - 10:48 am Dawn Morgan - Dang! I wanna move there. That backyard alone is worth it!

February 4, 2010 - 11:04 am Lisa - What's not to like! It is a true dream house!! Thanks for sharing all of the house pictures - there can never be too many.

February 4, 2010 - 11:10 am azjenny - Very nice! Wow, love all the windows! Being from a different part of the country, I am wondering what something like this costs?

February 4, 2010 - 11:15 am nicki - LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!

February 4, 2010 - 12:59 pm Penny - Looking through these wonderful photos, all I can think about is the history that has taken place in that home. The children that must have loved growing up in such a wonderful place. Think about the birthday parties and the Chrismases and family cookouts! I love it. What a dream house. I can see why you have fallen for it.

February 4, 2010 - 1:17 pm Christy - Awesome house, love the story behind it. And I adore all of the buildt ins !! The bathroom with the tub is to die for.

February 4, 2010 - 3:45 pm Jackie - Are you kidding me? Keep posting! I love this style and I'm creating my own digial "this is what I want my home to look like" folder. AND, it does include some of yours. I've got a 1989 typical "Texas house" and we're starting to remodel soon. I'm going to try to push this style, while sill trying to make it work.

February 4, 2010 - 4:50 pm Rene Schmidt - Gorgeous!!

February 4, 2010 - 10:39 pm Melanie - WOW! That house is beautiful especially the outside. Don't like the decor either but boy what you could do with it.

34/365

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 Posted in 365, My Style

Yesterday I got this in the mail

I felt like I needed some sort of motivation and organization in this daily project. I can’t wait to dive in, although I am not sure how I am supposed to use it.

Cole hates to have tags in his shirts, he has me cut every one out

I had no idea that Gap clothes were made in Gautemala. Hmm.

Anyway, I stuck it in the book. It’s part of his story. One of his odd quirks.

Moving on

Not wanting to spend the day at home with her puking husband, my friend Julie and I decided to head out to Granville. I wanted to see my farm house and she wanted to look around since she has always wanted to move out there.

And she found her house.

And this goes to show a house doesn’t have to be old to be cool. It also shows how hilly Granville is. All the houses around this area have amazing views.

Here she is on the front porch, saying welcome to my new house. The pond to the left was so cool.

It is brand spankin new. So we peeked in the windows. Love this door

A lot of the pictures are reflecting through glass but you get a good idea

It had three decks in back. The walk-out basement wasn’t finished yet

It sits on an acre

And a three car garage

Tomorrow I will show you my dream house. A house that was for sale a few years ago- why oh why did we not buy it???

Ok I know why- but still. It is so perfect for me- love love love. Andy just better hope it doesn’t come up for sale again because if it does we will be calling Granville home.

I didn’t get any pics of the farmhouse. It is just as adorable in person though!

Tags: 365, Granville, project life

by elisa

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I am in love with Granville Ohio

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 Posted in My Style

I have talked about Granville before. Andy and I always talk about moving “out” there. It is about 20 minutes from where we currently live. It’s an old historic town nestled down in a valley, a University town with one of the best school districts in our state.

Every time we go out there we say, “why don’t we live here?” Even our kids love it.

And did I mention it is closer to my husbands place of employment? And since he seems to live at work at these days, every minute off of that 45 minute commute counts!

Oh and it doesn’t help when I run into Jeanie, a woman I met through Andy’s work a few years back. I have posted pics of her house before. Ok, well I guess I haven’t. I thought I did but it looks like I just talked about it. I will have to dig them up. Very cool house!

Anyway, Jeanie always does a good job to sell me on Granville. She has lots of cool friends, like Amy Butler, Amy Hamiliton, and Kevin Reiner. Granville is a town that is loaded with artists.

And due to above friends, Jeannie has been in Country Living Magazine a few times. Which embarrasses her like crazy so I hope she doesn’t read my blog.

So Kevin, who is a designer- likes to buy houses and fix them up. So when I was innocently looking online at houses for sale in Granville I stumbled on this one, and it looked familiar.

No, we aren’t going to move. But it sure if fun to think about. And you just never know!

How gorgeous is this house? Have I ever mentioned how much I *adore* old farm houses?? Gravel driveway

Andy and I actually looked at the house next door to this one a few years ago.

Not only is Kevin an interior designer but he is also a landscape designer. He also works for Country Living. These are pictures from the spread in the magazine.

Both of these doors open up to the back- the backyard is big (1 acre) and backs up to a wooded area

These doors make my heart go pitter patter. I’m not kidding.

There is nothing about this house that I don’t like

Just in case you were wondering if it looked as good in the winter, it does

Love

I have always wanted to try the black trim on the windows but didn’t have the guts

Claw foot tubs make my heart sing. Yes I would take one any day over my huge jetted tub.

The dark wood floors…. love love love

As I was laying in bed last night (after watching the Bachelor of course) I kept thinking “why old houses? what is it?” Well besides all of the obvious coolness that comes with old houses, the trim, the built-ins, the character… I LOVE the fact that people have lived in the house for a very long time (since 1890 for this house). Raised their families, walked the floors with a cranky baby, did homework at the kitchen table, had good times and bad times. Rocked on the front porch while watching their kiddos run around. History.

This island look like barn milled wood- I bet it is

Another fave of mine- an open hallway

Clearly they didn’t realize that Eva is a girl.

Oh right, here is her room

Want to eat dinner outside?

I would be out here ALL the time.

Studio!!

Cathy, the house next door is for sale. It’s time to move sista! We can finally be neighbors!

Tags: Granville Ohio Farmhouse

by elisa

7 comments

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33/365

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 Posted in 365, Family

Happy Ground Hogs Day- 6 more weeks of winter. Woo Hoo!

My little friend here has had a rough few nights. Her mouth looks like it is just going to explode in a bunch of teeth. She has been fussy when going to bed and then waking up a lot.

Last night the boys wanted banana bread after dinner so I got it made and in the oven. I gave Eva a bath and put her in her crib all naked while I got her pj’s. Of course she peed in her bed- the little stinker. I couldn’t find another sheet. I gave her some teething medicine and got her a bottle and rocked her to sleep and Blake came into her room and asked rather loud if the banana bread was done.

Of course her eyes pop open. And we have to start all over. By this time it is 8pm and ya’ll know I am now addicted to the Bachelor. I get her rocked back to sleep, the banana bread is served- Andy finally gets home from work around 8:15, and I get to take a shower.

So I get to see some of the Bachelor, Andy reads to Cole, and the kiddos go to bed.

And the girly slept all night!

She looks very sweet doesn’t she? I am so ready for these teeth to break through

39/365

38/365

A few more

Buying organic

37/365

36/365

35/365

34/365

I am in love with Granville Ohio

33/365

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