The Power of the Mind

Do you know how much changing your outlook on little things can do for your life? If not, I'm about to tell you! 

For the past month, life in the Harmon House has been hectic. We have been through the drive through one too many times, we've missed naps and bedtimes, & J has been with family a whole lot while we took care of different things. The good news? We're in our home! The bad news? It's a wreck. 

This is only the living room. The rest of the house looks just about the same. 

The other night, I was so angry. I was so stressed. I was so tired. I was so fed up. After moving, we spent the entire day cleaning our old apartment. AND some of the next morning. So we didn't even get to use the full weekend to organize our house!! As I was driving home, I thought to myself, "You're only in a bad mood because you're choosing to be." 

& then I thought- "No, I'm in a bad mood because this blows and all I want is to hold my kids & be in my organized house." 

& then...this song came on. 

---

"This Is The Stuff"

I lost my keys in the great unknown

And call me please 'cause I can't find my phone

This is the stuff that drives me crazy

This is the stuff that's getting to me lately 

In the middle of my little mess

I forget how big I'm blessed 

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

But I've gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing 

Might not be what I would choose 

But this the stuff You use

45 in a 35 sirens and fines

While I'm running behind

Whoa ho ho

This is the stuff that drives me crazy

This is the stuff that's getting to me lately 

In the middle of my little mess,

I forget how big I'm blessed 

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

But I've gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing 

Might not be what I would choose 

But this the stuff You use

So break me of impatience

Conquer my frustrations

I've got a new appreciation

It's not the end of the world

Whoa ho ho ho

Oooooh This is the stuff that drives me crazy

This is the stuff 

Someone save me 

In the middle of my little mess

I forget how big I'm blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

But I've gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing 

Might not be what I would choose 

But this the stuff You use

Whoa whoa ho ho

This is the stuff You use.

------

How true are those words?? MY attitude is something I've really been working on for awhile now. I've got a little too much attitude for one person. 

I started trying to work on myself because I was really struggling with a friend. Everything she did just rubbed me the wrong way. We used to be great friends and it was like slowly we drifted & became frenemies! I began to literally hate seeing her in our crowd of friends and wanted to avoid her at all costs! One day, I found a picture of when we were really close. & that's when I decided, maybe it's me. 

Maybe I perceive her intentions wrong. Maybe I haven't forgiven her. Maybe I am what is holding things still and keeping things from moving forward. So I decided, right then-right there, I was going to change. I was going to step back before becoming offended. I was going to stop dreading seeing her & instead embrace her as if nothing happened. I was going to move on. 

That was the best decision I've ever made. 

That's when I truly learned that apologies and letting things go aren't for the other person involved. They're for yourself. 

Are we just absolute best friends again? No, but I do enjoy her company. I do know that she's a good person. & I do know that it really was me. 

So, there I was, in a bad mood. & i thought about that friend, my attitude, & the difference I made when I changed my perceptions. So, I thought about all I'm blessed with. A beautiful home. A beautiful family to share it with. A loving husband. Three super cute babies to watch grow up in this home. I'm in a bad mood because my house is a mess? No, I was in a bad mood because I was forgetting all the reasons I had to be in a good mood. 

My house is still a mess. But my life isn't, and for that- I'm thankful. 

XOXOX, 

Harmon Housewife 

My Sweet J

Oh my sweet little lady. 

My first little baby. My ray of sunshine. You warm my heart in your own special way. 

You can be anything you want to be. But, you'll always be my baby. 

You are the one thing that changed me. You made me a better person. You prepared me for the life of a mom of three. 

These times are hard and it breaks my heart. I worry you don't feel love like you should or deserve. I worry I'm too preoccupied with babies to keep your needs satisfied. But one day, I think you'll see I tried. I tried to be it all and it sometimes falls short. 

But I remember when it was just you & me. I remember how you loved, how you laughed, how you cried. And I can tell, you're much happier now. 

You love your role as a sister. 

You shine. 

I know I did what was intended for you. I know that in the end, I gave you the best gifts I possibly could. Best friends for life. 

But just remember, there is no one who holds your spot in my heart. When things get crazy, don't forget you're my baby. Don't forget that I will stop anything to see the picture you colored. I will be there when you need me. 

You're so smart. You're so beautiful. You're so fun. 

You're so challenging. You're so stubborn. You're so persistent. 

You're so perfect. Just perfect. 

XOXOX, 

Harmon Housewife

The Grocery Chronicles

A few things you must know up front: 

-These items PLUS pantry staples I always have will be how I create the meals. 

-This trip does NOT include snack foods for J. At this time, she didn't need anymore. Things I keep on hand for her snacks are yogurts, Cheez its, granola bars, string cheese, & fruit. I buy those about once a month (occasionally twice). It also does NOT include gluten free (GF) bread/pastas, or my Ezekiel breads. I buy those at Reasor's. 

-We do have to spend additional money on the breads/pasta because of my smokin' hot husbands allergies. They sell GF products at Walmart but I prefer the quinoa pasta at Reasors so I just buy all my GF products there. 

-My pantry staples may be different from yours. I do the majority of my cooking from scratch because of GF so I have spices, sauces, marmalades, etc on hand. Things I use often, I buy in bulk. 

-We have a leftover/free for all night once a week usually. We always seem to have more than enough. 

With that being said, here are my $52 dollar groceries! 

If I'm being truthful, it was on budget before taxes. So I still think it qualifies to post. 

How did I do this? Meal planning. Price matching. Pantry browsing. & dedication. I'm a big temptation shopper. I buy things spontaneously and it gets me into trouble. But this week, due to all the things we've bought for the house, we don't have any extra. I accepted that. I went in with a strong mind and a full tummy (probably the most important part!). 

Meal plan. You know what your family likes and how much they usually eat. Use this as your guide. I feed 3 people. From these, I also have leftovers for Joe to take to work and usually enough for our free for all night. So these meals actually have 4 or more servings. 

Price match. Meet your new best friend. Live it, love it, use it. 

Pantry browsing. Some nights, especially lately, we end up eating out or with my in laws because of craziness that goes on. This means occasionally I have left over things that didn't get used. Also, when things are on sale, I very frequently stock up. Such as canned tomato sauce, pasta, rotel (always have this!), peanut butter, and frozen leftovers from meals I made a little too many servings. 

So what are the meals? 

Breakfast choices: 

>Oatmeal

>Scrambled eggs

>Peanut butter toast

>Shakers --- these are perfect for us on the go. I price match these for $1! Joe drinks one every day on the way to work. 

>Cereals ---we have a huge stockpile of cereals, it's a little ridiculous. 

Lunch Choices: 

>Leftovers --see what I did there? ;) 

>Sandwiches, hummus & cucumbers/crackers 

>Surprise Salads --I use things I find in my pantry/fridge to create a salad. Fruits, nuts, proteins, etc. 

Dinners: 

>Turkey tacos, spicy black beans 

>Buffalo chicken panini, oven fries 

>Grilled Lemon Pepper chicken, rice, roasted carrots

> Vegetable omelets, toasts (GF for Joe, Ezekial Bread for me, Wheat for J) 

>Leftover night 

>Chop steak & gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans

>Mexican pizzas (turkey), Mexican brown rice 

These meals are in order how I plan to make them here's why: 

1. First meal & last meal are turkey and Mexican flavors. I put them apart for this reason.

2. I put the meals that I used rice or potatoes away from each other as well. 

Here's what I'm using from my pantry/fridge stock this week: 

Rotel 

Corn tortillas 

Cheese

GF & Ezekial breads

Assorted spices for the dishes 

Beef Bouillon

Brown rice 

Cereals 

Peanut butter 

Sandwich meats 

Hummus

Cucumbers

Salad Mix

If I could keep this up, we could save a quite bit of money, I'm just not sure if I can do it! I guess we shall see. For the next 5 weeks, I will post my grocery bill for viewing. I will post the meal choices & pantry uses. I'll also post the excess (J snacks, GF products) so we can see how much my bill is for that. I'm not up for my bill to be $50 before GF products yet so I'm keeping that separate. Our actual goal is $75/week. I'm simply attempting to lower it if possible! Good luck on your soon shopping adventure! 

XOXOX, 

Harmon Housewife

The Fairytale Lie

Here's the thing I want to say before you read this post: I love my husband. I really do. I love my life. But, this is no fairytale. 

My marriage does not consist of my husband coming home with roses every night. We do not go on dates very often. We do not fly away to exotic places at the drop of hat. We have never done any of these things and I'm pretty certain that we never will. There is this picture that young brides see when they think of marriage. So take that picture & burn it. Because it is a lie. 

My marriage consists of constant encouragement to each other. My marriage consists of a husband who works from sun up to sun down to provide for my family. My marriage consists of laundry, cooking, cleaning, taking care of children. My marriage consists of laughter and love. True love that does not require makeup, fancy clothes, date nights, and exotic trips. (Although I'm not saying those things aren't wonderful!) I'm simply saying my marriage consists of real. 

The "house" game you play when you're a child is not the same as living "house". Why? Because you can't quit playing. You keep repeating it day after day. When I go to bed at night, I know the next day I will have to wake up to do the exact same things I did today. Every day is not happily ever after, every day is just a day. 

The life I live day to day, I never imagined. I always wanted to be a mom and a wife. Always. But in my head, my kids never pooped, I wore dresses like a Beaver-Cleaver wife, my hair was always fixed, my house was huge and clean, and I had heard nothing of this word called "budget". 

The life I live day to day, I wouldn't give up for a fairytale. I love that my husband works hard, because that shows me he loves. He loves me and my children so much that he is willing to sacrifice his time so that I can be free with mine. I love that I can wear sweats, have messy hair, and when he walks in the door he greets me with a kiss followed by, "Hello Beautiful." I love that we don't fly away to places because that means we have a family. I love that we love in a real way. 

I wish that I could tell you that being a young wife and mother is an everlasting fairytale, but I can't. What I can tell you is, this life is so much better. If you let go of what you thought it should or would be and just let it be, you will see the true fairytale is being in a life and love that can make it through real life. 

XOXOX, 

Harmon Housewife 

Turkey Chili

My smokin' hot husband loves chili. I've been working on what I like in my chili for quite sometime & I've finally found what works for us. This recipe is simple, quick, a healthier version of chili so there's no feeling guilty after! I like to make it early in the day & let it simmer, because everyone knows chili gets better in time! However, you could totally throw this together & get it on the table in 30 minutes and it would still be delicious! 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 can pinto beans

1 can great northern beans 

1 can black beans 

2 cans mild rotel 

2 tbsp tomato paste 

1 tbsp onion powder

2 tbsp chili powder 

2 cans water 

Directions: 

1. Throw diced peppers in a large pot & brown the turkey with the peppers. 

2. Add garlic, onion powder, chili powder, and tomato paste. Blend until spices and paste is mixed well with turkey and peppers. 

3. Add all bean & rotel cans to pot and mix well. 

4. Add water, mix well. 

5. Bring to boil and let simmer for at least 20 minutes. (I simmer longer but totally by choice) 

We topped ours with cheese tonight. This chili is also great with avocado, plain Greek yogurt, sour cream, or sriracha :) ....I've tried different combos several times! Try whatever you life & I'm sure it will be scrumptious. 

XOXOX, 

Harmon Housewife 

Scattered Thoughts

So much has happened these past couple of days. It's been a crazy non stop to-do list. I haven't had any time to just collect my thoughts to figure out what to post. So here are some scattered thoughts... 

-our house is coming together quite nicely...& I'm pretty excited about it. I can't wait for reveal of each room! 

-you should definitely call & tell your parents (or the people who raised you) that you love them-right now. I'm serious. Sunday morning I got a voicemail I needed to call home because my papa was in the hospital. Luckily, he's fine. But,  to be honest I was pretty much raised like a princess in that house. So entirely too much of the time I ask my grandparents to do things for me instead of asking what I can do for them. 

-I really really really want to start fully eating "clean" but junk tastes so dang good. I need motivation. 

-I need a mom break. Terribly. Joe's been working and then going to work on the house so my days are extra long. Extra long & wonderful of course but a girl can only handle so much. Plus I just miss my smokin' hot husband. 

-I'm pretty whiney....

-the twins are 3 months old !! 

-J is potty training. We're doing pretty good. She even almost peed in the potty today...but I found the pee right next to the potty instead. However, before dinner, she took her diaper off & sat down all by herself. Proud moment. 

-Joe's birthday is Saturday. Birthdays are my favorite. I can't wait to celebrate him all day long. I've already got his day planned out-cause I love him and stuff. 

XOXOX, 

Harmon Housewife

Life Skills

Here's the deal, I'm huge Montessori fan. Huge. I'm all about explorative learning using real life skills. You would truly be amazed at how much kids learn doing every day things that they need to be taught anyways. So, I thought I would share some simple activities I do with J/give to J to do by herself. 

-"folding" washcloths 

-doing dishes: I put sponges, her plates, cups, bowls, utensils, etc in a bin & let her wash them. She seriously has so much fun...it's kindof weird. But maybe this means she'll always do our dishes? A mama can hope. 

-choosing her own clothes, foods, snacks, drinks. It's all about choices. I'm not saying let them eat or drink whatever. But make them feel included in their life choices. Encourage independence. 

For example: "Do you want apple or grape juice?"

"Do you want to wear the pink shirt or blue shirt?" 

"Do you want eggs or cereal?" 

One day, they'll have to make these anyways. Help them learn to make the correct & healthy choice. Small things to you are big things to them. 

-taking care of baby dolls. This encourages J to practice basic hygiene & life skills. & it's so fun! 

-we talk about big,small, counting, etc. Language is your biggest tool-USE IT! 

-matching people in photos with names 

-retrieving objects (comes in handy with the twins, J is my go-getter) 

I can't emphasize enough that basic is best. These are not hard things, these are things that are often overlooked. Learn to think simple & you'll learn to think like your child. 

XOXOX, 

Harmon Housewife 

Birthdays Are My Favorite

Today is my smokin' hot husband's birthday! I am so excited. Birthdays really are my favorite. 

                (One of my favorites)

We had quite the fun day & he seemed very pleased with all plans! First, we went hiking on Turkey Mountain after breakfast. We really love hiking. We don't get to do it often any more because of the kids but we're starting to get used to going places with all 3 so it's getting easier every time! We took J hiking for the first time at 3 months & now the twins go for their first hike at 3 months as well! 

      The beginning, she was so excited. 

                  Carrying his girls :) 

             The view was so pretty! 

                          Sweet J 

We got subway after our hike, it's pretty much a hiking tradition. J had her first experience at Subway, I think she enjoyed it! 

Our good friends from church watched our sweet babies while we went to see a movie! Another treat these days! We saw the new 300 movie, we really enjoyed it. 

After our fun day, I cooked Joe's birthday dinner. I always cook our favorite man a big meal. He never requests anything hardly because he claims "You make everything good." (He's a smart man) so I'm always wondering what can I make him that's special?? I decided to go with oven fried pork chops because we rarely eat pork & he loves them! I served them with baked beans (another fav) & a green chile hashbrown casserole. It was delicious. 

My smokin' hot husband did request 1 thing for his birthday this year: Oreo Peppermint Icecream cake! It was delicious. It was my first time to make this treasure. His mom used to make it all the time for him. The recipe was handed down from his very special Great Aunt Janet. So it's super special :) I'll have to get permission to blog that recipe but I'll definitely try to post it because it's sinfully delicious & worth every calorie. 

All in all we had an amazing day as a family & together just the two of us for the movie. Birthdays are my favorite & celebrating someone as wonderful as him is even better. 

Joe, I'm forever thankful for you! Every day you work harder so I don't have to. You provide for our family so I can stay home and be there for our children. I've watched you change from the life of the party to an amazing father, Christian, & husband. I'm so proud of every thing you are and all you do. I'm beyond blessed you belong to me & I can't wait to celebrate you every birthday for the rest of your life. People wait their entire lives to share a love like ours & we're blessed to have found it so young. 

XOXOX, 

Harmon Housewife 

BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Holy yum. 

First of all, baked sweet potatoes are delicious all on their own. Fact. Then there's BBQ, delicious. Put them together? Holy yum. 

I've been loving sweet potatoes for awhile and like I said before, I can't eat the same thing over and over. But what I can do is put a twist on simple things that make what I'm eating feel new! I actually got this idea via Pinterest after seeing a pulled pork stuffed sweet potato. I'm sure that's delicious but I didn't have any pork! & I'm a use what you have kind of girl. 

You need to make these. They're so filling and so incredibly yummy that I can't even fully describe because you just have to taste it! 

You can always make your own BBQ spice but Cain's is just my favorite. It's what my Papa always used when making anything BBQ & I just can't get away from it. If I'm making anything BBQ, Cain's is my go-to! 

Ingredients: 

3 sweet potatoes, baked

1/2 cup water 

2 chicken breast, rubbed with BBQ spice of choice 

3 tbsp BBQ sauce (of choice) 

BBQ sauce to taste (for topping) 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour 1/2 cup water in baking dish. Place your chicken into dish & bake your BBQ rubbed chicken for 20-30 minutes or until it's completely cooked. 

2. Remove chicken from oven & let rest for 10 minutes. Shred the chicken & mix in BBQ sauce. 

3. Slice baked sweet potatoes in half. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. 

4. Top sweet potato halves with shredded chicken mixture. 

5. Drizzle BBQ sauce over the top. 

Holy yum. 

So simple, so good. I served ours with this easy red cabbage & carrot slaw! 

For the slaw: 

2 cups shredded red cabbage & carrot mix

1/2 cup Greek yogurt 

3 tbsp Pickle juice (trust me) 

2 tbsp sugar 

Salt & pepper to taste 

Sriracha to taste (or omit if you're not into spicy) 

--Mix all ingredients together & chill until you're ready to serve. 

The slaw makes the perfect addition to these yummy potatoes. Enjoy :) 

XOXOX, 

Harmon Housewife

 

Who You Are

So five years ago, I was doing a whole lot of things I shouldn't have been. I'm not saying I was a horrible person but I most definitely was not the same person I am today. I sit here & I write these blogs based on who I am and what I do now. I started thinking about what people from my past or who used to know me think of the things I do & write about. 

Are they mocking my "faith"? 

As they read, are they thinking of the same girl who could go shot for shot at the bar?

Are they thinking about all the times that you would have never known I was a Christian? 

And then it hit me, I'm not alone in these thoughts. How do I know that? Because I see who you are now too. I see that girl who was next to me at the parties, you're a wife and a mom now. I see that guy who closed the bars down, you're a dad to a little girl now--and you're scared beyond words that she'll meet the guy you were. & I'm here to tell you something in case no one has yet. Who you were, doesn't matter. Who you are, does. 

When I see the pictures of your family, when I read your posts about church and Jesus and faith, I feel pure joy for you. Because you get it. You get what it feels like to really be changed and really what better and more for your life than what you did before. You get what it feels like to think about who you used to be and laugh because you don't know why you made those choices. You get it. 

& I'm here to tell you, I get it too. There are so many others with your story. So many others who've been changed or are changing. God gets it. He saw you then and he sees you now. & he is proud. He is proud of who you are now & he loves who you are now. Don't worry about what others think of who you were, show them who you are now. 

XOXOX, 

Harmon Housewife 

 

The Love Dare

For the next couple of weeks, between moving, babies, and life, I'm just not real sure how I can make my marriage a priority. Luckily, our relationship has always been strong and we've pretty much had smooth sailing at all times. But don't be fooled, there is always room for improvement! 

Today, I was browsing Instagram during Jessa's feeding and I saw the perfect way to do all I need to & still focus on my smokin' hot husband! As well as strengthen my faith, prayer, and knowledge of how to do so biblically. I can't really think of something better to get me through these coming weeks. So what did I see? I saw The Love Dare. 

While I don't have time to read lately, I did think, "They probably have an app for this." & they did! This app was .99 cents, but I think that's well worth what can come of these next 40 days! After I saw this and got the app I knew I had to start today! 

So, how did I do? Great! I didn't say anything negative to or about my smokin' hot husband (yes, that's pretty much how I'll always refer to him in my blog). I don't usually say anything negative but we do bicker when we're both stressed from our days. Lately it seems we've made more efforts towards praising each other than usual because we both know we're in a crazy spot right now. I really really really love the fact that we're both constantly trying to keep our relationship the same as before we had kids. You get married and then life happens. My best advice is to make sure you're facing all that life brings together. It's worked so far for us and I have confidence if we keep trying everyday to face everything together, we'll make it for the long haul. 

I'm not quite sure how I'll do every day but that's why I like this. It's day by day. Just like marriage. If you have a bad day, you wake up & you try again! I'm excited to continue these "love dares".  

XOXOX, 

Harmon Housewife 

Dear Single Mom

Today, I am exhausted. I spent the day with family and I'm still exhausted. & as I sit here with my husband who's rocking my sweet Joey to sleep, my heart begins to ache for those who do this mom thing alone. I'm tremendously blessed to have the support I do from those around me. So, instead of feeling sorry for myself for being exhausted, I decide to write to the single mom. Some of the toughest ladies out there! 

Dear Single Mom, 

I'd like to take a minute and really ask you, "How do you do it?" By the end of the day I'm completely worn down. I literally can't wait until my husband comes home just so I can hand a baby off. I honestly don't think I could do it alone....so here's to you, the single mom. 

Here's to every diaper you changed all day and all night. 

Here's to all the tears you wiped away. 

Here's to being the mom and the dad to your blessing(s). 

Here's to all the housework you do on top of everything else. 

Here's to the nights you spent wondering why you're doing it alone, those nights made you stronger. 

Here's to working all day and playing til bedtime when you're already exhausted. 

Here's to all the days you spent working when you wished you could be home. 

Here's to showing your children women are strong too. 

Here's to being the leader, the teacher, the preacher, the provider, and the glue that holds your home together. 

Here's to everything you do and deal with that I could never know anything about. 

Here's to you, the single mom, the real super mom. You do everything I do, only you do it alone. & I applaud you! 

XOXOX, 

Harmon Housewife 

Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken

Roasted chicken is a favorite in the Harmon House. Mainly because it is so easy & also because it's so versatile. I enjoy switching up how I cook it because in the Harmon House we eat quite a lot of chicken! I'm not a leftover person or a person who can eat the same thing over and over. So when I cook chicken, I'm always trying to create a different dish with it! Our favorite meals have been those I made up at the last minute. This recipe is one of those treasures I cooked up with what I had on hand & it. was. deeeeeeelicious. I've made several roasted chickens with similar ingredients but the lemon & rosemary in this just taste wonderful together. The more you cook, the more you start knowing what spices and flavors go together. This is essential when you're trying to be creative in the kitchen. Get the basics down and start playing around. Don't be afraid to try new things!

So, are you ready for an easy, delicious, & quick meal you can cook up for your family? Okay, in full disclosure it's not really quick cooking but it is a quick prep meal & I usually prep it the night before once all the sweeties are tucked away dreaming. Give this recipe a try, you won't be sorry! & you WILL make it again :) 

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken 

4 tbsp butter, melted

Juice of 1 lemon + zest 

1/2 tbsp rosemary  

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Place your chicken in a roasting pan & preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

2. Mix the zest & juice of 1 lemon into melted butter, mix well. 

3. Drizzle melted butter mixture all over the chicken. 

3. Sprinkle rosemary, salt, & pepper over the chicken evenly.

4. Roast chicken covered in the oven for 1 hour. Remove cover and roast for 1 additional hour uncovered. 

5. Remove chicken from oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving. 

You have to comment and let me know if you enjoyed this wonderful recipe! I served ours with rice & carrots. Do yourself a favor and chop your own fresh carrots. They're so good when you make them fresh & just as cheap! I got my bag of carrots for just 75 cents! About 5 extra minutes to peel & chop and my family enjoys a fresh, simple side. My sweet J thoroughly enjoyed dinner...as you can tell! :) if it's toddler approved, you know it's yummy! 

XOXOX, 

Harmon Housewife 

How Far We've Come

When Joe & I got married we moved into a small one bedroom apartment. I remember we were so happy to finally live together and have our place. We'd sit and eat our hamburger helper and talk about all the things we were going to do when we got real jobs. What would we do with all our time without having to go to school and go to work? We'd talk about the house we'd have and the three boys that'd be running around it. That's what I wanted, three boys. I think about how we'd laugh & say, "One day, when all this happens, we'll think back to this night and this time. We'll wish that our rent & bills were this cheap." & today, as we did the final walk through at our new home before the closing, I thought about that night. 

I thought about how this man that I'm married to now, isn't the man I talked about those dreams with. In our very short time of marriage we have become two different people from the beginning. We came from two crazy college kids falling in love to a family of five. How wild is that?! We have three children and this coming June we will be married for three years! But the craziest part is, I'm much more in love with the man I'm married to now than the man I married. I've seen this man with my children and there is nothing that makes you love your husband more than seeing him be a father. It's a completely different level of love. 

I thought about how I wanted three boys. How silly was that! I can't imagine life without my girls. Lucky for me, He knew exactly what my heart wanted. 

I thought about how I was just beginning to venture out in my cooking and the first night I burned dinner. The first time Joe grabbed Chinese takeout and we sat on the floor watching Netflix entirely too long because we didn't have to get up in the early morning. I thought about when it was just us. I'm fairly certain we took that time for granted. 

I sat there trying to figure out when our future became our present. When did we get here? Look how far we've come. Look at this wonderful life we've created and the new memories this house will bring. I stopped myself there. I don't want to think about the future memories, I just want to live them. So, how far have we come? We're homeowners. 

XOXOX, 

Harmon Housewife

Why can't you change?

I'm writing this post from two different perspectives-- I'm writing this as a mom 

and I'm writing this as a daughter. 

As a mom, I look at my children and am in awe of my love for them. I live for my children. Day in, day out, I am mommy. I feed, I clean, I diaper, I play. J runs to me for her every need, the twins cry and know I will answer. I am depended on. I am needed. I am tired and I would not change a thing. I could never be separated from my children. Let something be understood, I am completely for mom time. I need and want alone time. By myself and with my husband. But, I'm talking about that mother. The one we all know, the one who cares more about going out and living for the moment than she does about spending time with her children. The one who is missing the beauty in the daily life with her children. The one who's children are wondering "Why can't you change?"

As a daughter, I never understood why my mom was away. I never understood why I only got the occasional phone call. I never understood why her life was more important than my life. Why didn't I get to go to "mother/daughter" events with my mother? Why didn't my mom come to school parties? Why didn't my mom help me get ready for my first date? Where were you? You most certainly were not there with me. & I wondered, for the majority of my life, "Why can't you change?"

As a mom, I've made a conscious decision to never choose anything over my children. I had just been accepted for a teaching internship overseas the week before I found out I was expecting my oldest daughter. I wanted that internship. I wanted that experience so very badly. But, I wanted that child more. A child that I did not plan for, a child that God himself chose for me. Four months into marriage and we were pregnant. Of course, I might have been able to still go overseas to teach. But the $4000 dollars that the program cost, we could not pay. I also had no clue how my health would be, if I would miss doctors appointments, if something, anything, were to happen during the internship- I knew I would never forgive myself. That was the first choice I made for someone else. & now every day of my life I make choices for these perfect, amazing, & beautiful little humans I created. They count on me to make the right decision for them. 

 

As a daughter, I'd like to tell you about everything you missed. I'd like to tell you about how beautiful my children are, I'd like to tell you how amazing my husband is, I'd like to tell you all of the accomplishments that you should have been there for. But you, you have lost that right. You do not get to hear about my life because you chose not to be apart of it. 

As a mom, it breaks my heart to type that. The pain I would feel if my children ever said those words to me or about me, I would be shattered. As a mom, I've realized that you make choices to forgive so that your children see the light through you. So as a mom, I forgive you. I truly do. 

But as a daughter, you've lost me. 

So I'm writing to you, that mother, I'm telling you this as a mom and as a daughter, wake up. Wake up now & change your ways. Wake up before your children realize they don't need you. Wake up before it's too late. Change. Tell your children you love them, tell your children you're sorry, tell them you were wrong. You still have time to change how they see you. Do not choose your life over your children, do not choose nights with friends out partying, do not choose to allow your children to wonder, "Why can't you change?" 

Be the change. Be a mother. Be a father. Be there. Be what God intended you to be. 

XOXOX, 

Harmon Housewife 

Sensory Sheets

I'd like to start this post by saying that if you haven't discovered the magic in The Dollar Tree, you are truly missing out. That place is a gold mine for a one income household. Get time & go, you won't be sorry. I buy so many things in this store that I use around my house & ESPECIALLY for activities with J! I don't worry about her breaking, losing, or damaging anything cause I only paid $1! It allows me to let her be more free with what she does. Moving on...

I made these simple sensory/word sheets two nights ago & J LOVED THEM! My original thought was to make sensory "steps" but this seemed quicker and easier. Here she is teaching her own baby "white, soft" --

These sheets are so easy to make for yourself and you can switch out any of these for other things you have around your house. Be creative!

What you need:
Foam sheets (cardboard would work too!)

Glue

Scissors

Sensory items (I used foil, cotton balls, Popsicle sticks, buttons, yarn, felt, lace, tulle, Pom poms, & feathers)

How to:
Gather your sensory items & cut if needed according to size of your foam sheet. Glue your sensory items onto the foam sheet... I mean, do I need to explain it in more detail? It's THAT simple! The amount that you put on each sheet is up to you. I'm not too big on "perfection" when it comes to things I make for J...5 minutes into these she was removing the pom poms off the sheet. So perfection isn't needed in our house. Here are the finished sheets--

J took off with the cotton sheet, seems to be her favorite one so far!

What else can you do with these?
These sheets are great for more than just sensory. I used a marker to write various words on each sheet for language development. But you could also use this activity for counting, colors, etc. It all depends on what you sensory materials you use! & if you're feeling REALLY adventurous today, you can let your little one help you make these. Allowing them to help will be great fine motor skill practice, sequencing, decision making, and listening skills.

I hope your little ones enjoy these as much as mine do!

XOXOX,
Harmon Housewife