if we build it the rain will come

I am all about grand ideas when our lives are already 50 shades of chaos. Obviously, it makes perfect sense that this would be the year I decide that Brooke needs an outdoor playhouse for her birthday. In my defense, I was shopping around for one that would only require some assembly since Luke has been working like it's going out of style. It's not by the way. 

I was super surprised when he announced {via text} that he could build one WAY better than any of the options I had presented. I wasn't about to argue because that was my thought all along. I had no idea where he was planning on getting a few extra hours in the day to accomplish this, but hey, daylight savings was around the corner so that would help. I mean, it's not like parents of young children sleep right? With the new plan in place, I started collecting all kinds of inspiration. And Luke started giving me the "reign it in" look. Basically, we will not be going with any kind of dutch door; however, the window boxes are a possibility. It's the little victories. Choose your battles, people. Start with the ones you know you won't win because then you'll win the battles that really counted anyway. 

See how cute some window boxes can be?

Since this will be a place for Austin to play as well, I don't want to make it too girly which is why I love the colors of this house.

Please note that this playhouse is located inside the kids' playroom. Because their parents are cooler than us. 

Everything was falling into place including the fact that the kids would be gone for part of their Spring Break which would allow Luke to get started on the construction. 

And then it started to rain. 

And just when the meteorologists told us it would quit...it rained a lot more. 

So obviously we should have been making plans to build an ark. 

Oh, and did I mention that Luke is about to be out of town for TEN days?! He is and he will be getting back the day BEFORE Brooke's actual birthday. Now you know why I have been in a state of panic for the last couple of days. Want to know something I don't do well? Use power tools that can cut a board in half. Cooking knives are where I draw the line because I enjoy using all 10 of my fingers. 

Luckily, today brought cloudy skies but no rain! Hallelujah. Let the building commence. 

We plan on putting a little garden behind her house that will hopefully live longer than a couple of weeks. Say a prayer because this girl comes from a family of people who like to kill plants. 

The older I get the more appreciation I have for my parents and the sacrifices they made to make sure we felt special. This is certainly not an ideal time for Luke to be taking on extra projects, but our little princess only turns 4 once. I'm so thankful for a husband and grandparents that are willing to make some of her dreams come true. 

Spring is coming!

Spring Break is officially here at our house, but the spring cleaning has already begun. We started in Brooke's room because it was a hot mess. She is a closet-stuffer. I say "clean your room" and she hears "go shove everything in your closet and slam the door." Here's the thing, she has a rather large walk-in closet. I'm not a math expert but that's quite a bit of  available square footage for a three year old who doesn't like to put things away. So we cleaned out all the clothes that didn't fit, organized her shoes, and took stock of the toys that were left. 

It was all fun and games until she caught me throwing away some of her glow in the dark spiders. That she stole from her brother's room. Neither of them even remembered they existed, which is why it makes perfect sense that she would be horrified to find them in the trash bag. 

Next up was Austin. He is my pack rat. There is no toy too broken or forgotten that he will not fight to keep. Bless him. His tender heart knows no limit. 

FOUR trash bags later, I could finally see the floor of their closets. My kids have too much stuff. It's embarrassing. We picked out a couple of things to pass on to friends and cousins. You know, toys that were still in excellent condition. Sure, we could have taken them to a resale store but I want Austin and Brooke to know that blessing others is important. This was a way for them to give a thoughtful gift without actually having to spend money. 

I have a couple of projects for each of their rooms that I'm working on, but all of that work is pointless if it looks like a bomb went off upstairs. Plus, they both need new spring/summer clothes and I like to take advantage of the spring sales. I'm also a big fan of online shopping for the kids. Because have you tried to shop with little people? Here are a few of my favorite online sites to shop for deals.

hautelook.com: You can join this flash sale site for free and any returns can be made to Nordstrom Rack. Brooke is obsessed with shorts and flip flops so in an effort to save our relationship I ordered these for her. You can't beat $9 for cute flip flops and sandals!

And these sandals for church or to dress up the shorts she picks for the day. 

jane.com: Another site with daily deals. I've ordered leggings and a sweater for myself from this online boutique and wear them all the time. Someone please order this tulle skirt...

You can't beat $19.99 for a super cute skirt you can dress up or down. And speaking of super cute, this yellow shirt is perfect for spring. I can't do yellow so I would probably get the pink.

You can also find great stuff for kids like these princess aprons. 

simpleaddiction.com: I've ordered jewelry from this site and been very pleased. I love this necklace. I would wear it with my new pink shirt. 

 And this leather infinity bracelet is really cute. 

hazelandolive.com This is actually a store in downtown Rockwall, but you can also order some of their stuff online. I love all of their things! I really want this dress. 

And this skirt. 

You know what looks great with this skirt? Sunkissed legs which means I would have to get my self-tanner out so as not to blind anyone. 

It's hard to find great stuff for boys on some of these sites. Well, boys that are no longer babies or toddlers. For Austin, I mostly shop at Old Navy and Target. They have great basics and seem to last all season. 

I'm ready for spring temps and summer nights!