A new year, a new crack at blogging? Why not!!

I cannot believe it's been a year since I last posted (I got 6 whole posts in before throwing in the towel woohoo) well here goes another shot at this whole blogging thing!!

Where do I even start? Since LAST January, we have started a major basement renovation, our tiny sweet littler finner is 15 MONTHS old and Coledon just turned 8!! Excuse me?? Oh yeah, and were expecting baby #3 in 14 weeks!! I can't even make this up.

I'd like to recap everything .. Just kidding! Fresh start. Fresh outlook. The plan is simple; write about our everyday life and document some favorite photos of our adventures to look back on in the years to come! {easier that in sounds, right!} we will see how far I get with this attempt!

Xoxo

52 Days of Organizing: Entryway & Homework Station

I started my little organizing challenge during my big kids break from school. I wanted to give him a fresh start when school started back up! I created a place to keep his coat & backpack, do homework, and play after school! 

Simple hooks from target solved the "let's throw our coat and backpack down by the front door" problem we had been having! I also added a boot tray for those wet boots (that thank goodness were not using right now.. No more snow please & thank you!) I added a mirror too, because who doesn't like to look at themselves before they walk out the door! I keep my solly baby wrap and Finns baby bag (always packed and ready) hanging here as well for a quick grab and go out the door! It's nothing crazy, just a simple fix that helps makes morning stress free and  keeps mama from loosing her mind! 

We also use the two green bins right next to the front door for gloves, hats scarves & an umbrella for rainy day walks to the bus stop! 

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Our playroom is attached to our entryway, which makes transition to putting everything away after school and starting homework a breeze! I wanted coledon to have a space for his own to work on his assignments after school. We use a small IKEA kids table and chairs and lots of bins to stay organized! Here's a few pictures to give you an idea ...

These boxes make it easy for coledon to grab and take what he needs to the table! The homework help has everything from pencils and scratch paper  to glue and scissors.. Pretty much anything a first grader would need to complete homework! The reading practice has his leveled books and sight word cards for daily reading! I keep his weekly homework calendar and any papers than need completed in the small file holder, which I change out every Monday after school!  Some other supplies we have are ...

 

And here's a peak at some toy organization .. More to come 👌👌

Xoxo 

52 Weeks of Organizing: Introduction

Alright folks, I've decided for my New Years resolution that I am going to organize my chaos.. Let's blame J. Alexander's for my obsession with said term... But seriously,  "organized chaos" It defines my life!!! I thrive in chaos, as I've said before but hubby darn near has a stroke! Therefore we've made a compromise, he will stop stressing about the chaos (haha) and I will do my best to organize it! 

I have complied a list of 52 projects around my house that need a little love. Some big, some small. I'm very excited about this project and I think it will be fun to document in between my mommy posts.. And with a small babe at home it's a good guess that he will be making cameo appearances throughout this project! 

Want to join me?? Grab a piece of paper and make a list it's so fun to cross them off as you go!! Seriously, do it! 

I have already completed 2 projects and didn't take "before" pictures so those posts won't have a before, I apologize in advance for that! It's way more fun to see the before and after! Sorry! 

Rules I've set for myself .. 

1. it's called 52 weeks if organizing but let's be honest I'm a stay at home mom with an (almost) 3 month old (how the heck is he almost three months old?!!!) a first grader, and a crazy puppy .. That said, will I post each week about ORGANIZING.. EVERY week? probably not! 

2. Some projects are very small, so will I really wait a whole week to do another, probably not. Some projects are very large, will they take longer than a week to finish.. Quite possibly! 

3. Is there 52 items on my list.. Heck yes! Am I going to go in order of how I wrote them? Heck no! 

4. Do I want feedback?? ABSOUTELY. I'll be posting here but you can usually see some projects on Instagram as well #52weeksoforganizing @mamabear_lanich 

What are some problem areas in your house? What do you hope to organize this year?? Follow along and join in as I attempt to organize my chaos!! 

Xoxo

Holiday Recap!

Holy smokes how have the holidays come and gone so soon?? It's hard to believe it's been two weeks since Christmas and because it's such a busy time I feel okay back tracking and recapping those special days! 

As you may or may not know blogging weekly is a New Years resolution of mine, so hopefully I won't be doing TOO MUCH back tracking in the future! 

So where do I start? Christmas week craziness starts on the 22nd for our family. It's my hubby's birthday! As requested we went to J. Alexander's for diner with some friends while my awesome parents came over to order pizza and take care of the boys :)! After dinner we had cake and ice cream back home as a big ole happy family! 

Yay for family time, yummy cake, a delicious dinner & some adult conversations!! 

Hubs in an almost-Christmas-Eve-babe so the following morning my alarm was set for 7 and I was up and out of the house by 9 to run around like a crazy lady to prepare for the  next few days!! My lovely husband volunteered to keep both boys home so I could be a bit more efficient in my errand running- score! I hit Kroger, Dorothy Lane Market, for Christmas dinner and appetizers! Foremost Seafood Market, for our traditional cocktail shrimp & Moore Dessert Please, a cute little bakery for a plate of cookies for St Nick & adorable Elf cookies for my littles!! Long story short, I was home by 12.. I felt like super woman!  

This gave me time to unpack all the groceries and unwind for a little while. Finn & I took a nap and then got everyone ready for church! We met my parents and my niece Kennedy for "The First Light" service at our church, it was interesting to say the least with 3 young kiddos! 

Christmas Eve dinner has become quite a funny story in my family, and nonetheless a VERY odd tradition. Every year we visit my grandmother at her apartment community and she has their recroom rented, we visit with her and some of her friends, let the kiddos open gifts and eat... KFC, yup nothing says Christmas Eve like Kentucky Fried Chicken. She insists on it each year, and truly won't have it any other way. We all complain amongst ourselves, but put on a happy face and suffer through friend chicken, mashed taters, and Mac n cheese with a smile on! I'm sure some day we will miss those fried chicken dinners! It really makes her year, so it's all worth it! 

After a few hours of great grandma visiting, it's time to get home and get ready for Santa! 

Every year our Elf, Michelangelo surprises us with new "Christmas Morning PJs" when we get home from Christmas Eve Dinner, so as expected we came home to little packages for the boys and one for mommy and daddy too! After we get our PJs on, we read a Christmas story, and get to bed so Santa "does fly past our house" :) what are some Christmas Eve traditions y'all love?? 

B & I watched a Christmas Story waiting for the kiddos to fall asleep. Once we were sure our little big man is out cold, santas helpers get to work! 

This is brads favorite job every year! 😂

 

Stockings for everyone :) 

 

New Santa Sacks for the boys!! I ADORE these!! 

I swear I'm just a giddy Christmas Eve as little ones are!! We were up until about 1:30 setting everything up for the boys, yes yes I know.. Finn is 2 months old he didn't need a big show.. But TOO BAD, we gave him one! :) When we finally got to bed, my excitement got the best of me and I could hardly sleep! Like I said.. When it comes to Christmas I'm just as bad as the kiddos. Christmas in my house was always so magical, it's definitely stuck with me into adulthood! 

Christmas Morning was a little different this year.. Mama had a helper bright & early!! Merry first Christmas little Finn :)

In our house Christmas morning involves, lots of coffee all around and the arrival of my mom, dad & little brother! It doesn't feel like Christmas without them, and I don't think I'll ever give up on this tradition.. Sorry guys!!

We exchanged gifts and watched Cole open gifts and Finn.. sleep haha! We truly are blessed to have such a wonderful family to share all of these special moments with!! 

 

 

 

Can't believe my babies first Christmas has come and gone but look at these precious pics I snapped 

His little stocking was jammed packed with some fun little toys :) 

Cole decided he "didn't want a bunch of pictures this year, mom" so I snuck in a few where I could and left it at that... Pick your battles, Nicole.. Pick your battles. 

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We had a quick breakfast & headed out the door (pajamas and all) to my older brothers home to spend time with him and his family for a bit! 

  Christmas Tree cinnamon roll tray, bacon & egg and sausage bake .. Mmmm so delicious!! 

If you haven't noticed, I do the holidays ONE WAY, jam packed and with a "go big or go home" attitude! It's exhausting, but I wouldn't have it any other way! I loooove entertaining.. Or as my husband calls it "hosting blow outs parties" lol.. He is a little over the top. He loves me, and my entertaining.. He just won't admit it :) 

We had family over that afternoon for Christmas dinner, thank goodness for my mama staying and helping.. I was quickly hitting a brick wall! Let's just say when my grandma arrived at 2.. I was still in pjs! Haha oh well! 

Table décor &nMy favorite Chrismtas Cocktail!! 

All in all, we had a WONDERFUL holiday filled with chaos, family, fun & memories that will last a lifetime!!!! 

Merry Christmas from the Lanich's ❤️❤️

.. We had one more trick up our sleeves for a BIG Christmas Surprise! 

Brads mom couldn't be here for Chrismtas this year so we decided to wake at 5AM the day after Christmas and  drive to her!! We were on the road by 6 and to her doorstep at about 1030, and boy was she surprised! Finn was such a good little traveler, he slept the entire ride!  We had a great time visiting with Gram, Brads brother, Brandon  & his daughter, Holly! Our Chrismtas was truly complete!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with your families, I know we sure did!!!!!

Xoxo

Christmas spirit?

Whoa what a weekend!

So I don't know about you, but every year during the holidays I am a complete crazy person. 25 days of Christmas countdowns, fully booked schedule, rushing here & racing there..!! To be completely honest.. I love it, I really do! This year however, it just wasn't the case! This year with a new baby in the house I couldn't get it together enough to go full on crazy Christmas lady! I'm feeling like total crap about this.. But it is what it is!  

I will say my wonderful husband picked up where I was lacking and staged our elf, Michelangelo every morning!! I LOVE elf on the shelf..I've been doing it with cole since he was 3.. Like FULL ON crazy! I can't believe it's December 21st and I've done the elf [drum roll] a whopping 3x.. Am I a horrible mom?? 

Ugh.. Next year will be different! I hope!

We DID go see Christmas lights & Santa .. That's something right?? 

Soooo I will say that even though I may not have built a gingerbread house this year, or went to a Christmas show, or made homeade ornaments, or anything else on my list.. I DID complete all my shopping AND wrapping in a timely manner! Yes that's right.. Between Black Thursday shopping & this weekend I am COMPLETELY done & It feels ohhhh so good. 

I had such a fun two days shopping with Finn and my mama! I bundled up the baby and was out of the house by 830 on Saturday!! We took daddy coffee at work and picked nana up for a day of fun!! We were out for hours! Brad and I order food in and binge watched breaking bad all night.. It was seriously such a fun weekend! Coledon was gone for the night so I was able to wrap all the kids gifts and hide them! :) Today I was an ALARM-FREE day #hallelujah so needless to say.. What a great Sunday! 

So in closing..I went to target 3x in one weekend, stood in countless lines, ate fast food, breastfed in multiple parking lots, wrapped all my Christmas gifts AND my moms.. It feels soooo good! 

Finn slept for almost 2 straight hours in my Solly wrap during the second Target trip of the weekend! I seriously adore this wrap, and this little elf. #tiredmama 

 Eeek!! I am so excited for Finns first Christmas and too see Coles eyes light up on Christmas morning! 4 days :)

two months already?

How can this be? My little baby is already two months old, I know they all say it, but it's true.. Time really does fly.

Finn had his two month visit this week, everything is a-okay. We've had some issues with spitting up CONSTANTLY after feeding and I thought for sure they were going to say it's due to my diet.. But nope! Little giant is growing at an above average rate and they're not concerned one bit. He weighed in at 13lbs 14 oz, & is 24 inches long, he is going to be tall just like daddy!  

Of course I had to take a traditional doctors visit picture ^^

He was all smiles until the nurse came back to administer his shot vaccines. He was not a happy camper!

 He has been a very sleepy babe the last day because of it, and has not allowed me to put him down, cuddle time 24/7..which I absolutely love. Besides.. There's plenty of time to finish Christmas shopping, wrap everything, & clean the house right?? I think my husband would disagree, but for now my head is remaining in the clouds and I'm gonna keep loving on my little Finn. He did get some tummy time in today, and ive managed to get lots of smiles out of him! 

"I tell you what.. This tummy time thing is exhausting mom" 

Anyway..

I can't believe Christmas is 5 days away.. Hubby and I are wrapping gifts all night and watching Christmas movies while our big brother is away, so that's one thing I can check off my list! Happy Friday!