HAPPY 2014!

Hard to believe another year is in the books.  Feels like time is just flying right by!  I don't make New Year's resolutions anymore (cuz, really, who keeps them?), but I do have a few goals for 2014.

 My word for 2014 is GENTLENESS.  My one big goal is to use talk more/yell less approach with the kids.  Wish me luck. Now that we're homeschooling and the little ones are with me 24/7, there is plenty of opportunity for yelling GENTLENESS :)

January has always been a declutter/streamline/organize month for me and that's still true. Feels like January is when I start my Spring cleaning - and I love it.  A decluttered space = a decluttered mind for me which lead to productivity, creativity and less stress. If you follow me on Facebook, you know my craft room is in a sad, sad state. I've used it as the dumping ground for the last few months and then the Christmas gift hideout and then the Christmas gift wrapping and mail station and even the occasional 'make a craft and leave everything everywhere' space.  It. Is. A. Mess.  My Facebook friends have been {mostly} so sweet about not being horrified by my disaster but I am mortified.  SO, my goal is to have my craft space completely clean, organized and done before the month is out.  Did I mention  that I homeschool my kids?  And I have an 18 month old.  A month seems like a long time but when you break it down into hours I actually have available to myself it translates into roughly ....7.  Ok, not really.  But almost. 

My other goals are the resolution standards - move more, eat less, take time for myself when I can, go on dates with my husband, make healthier choices in general, etc.  All common sense, good for you things I should be doing anyway.  Maybe if I make them a habit, I won't have to resolve to do them because they'll be second nature.  So, I guess that's my goal:  make these things a habit.

I shared with you {Facebook fans} my disaster of a craft room,  so I'll temper that with some pictures of my home decorated for Christmas.  I still have my decor up and it'll stay up until after the 6th of January (12th day of Christmas) when we celebrate Three King's Day.  All of my neighbors have taken down their decor.  I'm the odd house and that's OK.  Everything in my house and my Christmas decor is a work in progress.  I get little bits of furniture and/or decor when I can and shop mostly clearance and second hand.  Little by little it'll get to where I want it to be!
{FREE printables found on Pinterest:
*deer head sihlouette
*joy to the world (grey and yellow)
*wonderful Counselor
*glory to the newborn King
*joy to the world (red & green)
*advent calendar (not shown)}

I used an empty spool of muslin ribbon, tied a red ribbon around it, added a few tiny branches - instant Christmas! In the frame, a FREE printable from Pinterest.

Santa!  Got him a few years ago on clearance.  LOVE him.

The little ones left milk & cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.

Found this little beauty at a thrift store via craigslist a few years ago.  Painted her a creamy white and she's good as new.

Super simple casual place setting for the Christmas dinner that never happened.  I fell ill on Christmas eve and was not up and about until the day after Christmas :/

This 'sideboard' was another craigslist find.  The dresser was a shiny brown so I painted it and added new hardware and voila!  A new sideboard :)

FREE printable found on Pinterest in a FREE frame my sister gave me years ago from her retail store display.

I used pine cone garland and regular green garland, tied it to the banister with wire and added ribbon bows.

Another FREE printable from Pinterest.

Our stockings were hung by the chimney with care :)  All found on clearance from Pottery Barn and Janie & Jack (the tiny one).

One of my very favorite ornaments!  Got this little book ornament at my very first craft fair from a neighboring booth.  It really has the story inside!

Salt dough ornaments (recipe via pinterest) the little ones made for Christmas 2012.  They've held up beautifully!

My mom gave me this Nativity.

Another FREE printable found on Pinterest!

Another FREE printable from Pinterest :)

I made this wreath with our Christmas tree clippings, added gold star garland and a burlap bow.

My tiny tree.  I meant to get a big one.  It looked bigger in the lot.  I love it, though!  Both chairs are craigslist finds and the puffy velvet bow was a Target clearance find a few years back.

Garland on the other side of the stairs/entryway.

I try to update the chalkboard for every season/occasion/birthday.  The kids LOVE seeing it on their birthday! You can kind of see the chalkboard in the dining room picture.  It's about 4' wide by 5' tall and is at the bottom of the side staircase.