So easy! So much better now!

Remember these prints, a housewarming present from friends?

I gave them a makeover (i.e. I spray painted the frames), and now they look like this:

I can't believe how different they look now, and how much fresher and better for the space. This is actually the first time I've ever painted frames. Now that I know how satisfying it is, I'll do it every day!

This also really made me see how much I love some gray with the Nantucket Fog....the color itself is so much less gray and more blue than I was originally thinking I'd wind up with, but with its gray undertones, putting some really gray up against it really makes me happy.

Next stop: some curtains for those windows!

Halloween!

I kind of miss having little kids who I can talk into whatever adorable themed costumes I want. But I love that my kids usually go for themed costumes all by themselves, with no coercion (since they started picking their costumes, we had a Harry Potter year and then a Mario, Luigi, and Wa-Luigi year). This year they all wanted to be characters from Hetalia. Hetalia is some sort of Japanese anime type thing, and my kids (particularly Ari) are very into it. That's about all I know. Oh--I also know that you have to order the costumes from some overseas company and pay a lot of money for very low quality stuff. Yay! Either that or you have to have stronger sewing or thrifting powers than I have.

And they all declared this year the best Halloween ever, so I guess I will have to accept their happiness as a substitute for the overwhelming adorableness of Halloweens past.

Ari was America, Milo was China, and Gus was Japan.

....and Fiesta was the horse that the Headless Horseman rides. 

First up on Halloween, we had a party at LEO, the place where the kids take classes. And that evening, because we live in a Real Neighborhood now, there was a pre-trick or treating costume parade for all the neighborhood kids. Our friends came over to join us for that:

Then we made our way around our neighborhood collecting candy. Two people wanted to take Fiesta's picture, which kind of made up for my lack of a dressed up baby or toddler. Next year! I'll have a dressed up dog AND a baby.

After finishing off our (small; only about 60 houses, and a lot of them didn't have lights on) neighborhood, we headed down the street to our friends' neighborhood, met up with some more friends, and hit all the houses there (after touring my friend Tracy's awesome haunted house on her porch. I wish I had pictures of that). Then after a brief candy-swapping session, we all came home, very tired and full of sugar.

We were a little late with pumpkin carving this year, but it did finally happen, a few days before Halloween.

We opted for Sparky, from Frankenweenie, using a template we found at Mommy Musings.

The library--finished! (enough for now)

I'm calling it! I mean, there are still things to do, like organize the bookshelves more and hang up the Beagle picture I bought on Etsy when it gets here...but it's more finished than any other room in the house.

Earlier documentations of library progress are here and here. And here's a reminder of what we started with:

And here it is now:

Changes, big and small (well, mostly small), since the last update:
*Finally got all the doors to the bookshelves and installed them, along with the rest of the height extenders. Notes on Billy shelves: it is very hard to get all the doors to close right, at least in this house. I don't know if it has to do with floors not being entirely level or what. But a lot of them still don't close exactly how they should. From a distance, you can't tell. Also, as I've mentioned, it took us THREE separate Ikea trips to come home with all the correct doors. And one of them is STILL messed up. It's a screwed up place on the inside of one of the doors; it doesn't affect the functionality, and you can't see it from the outside. But I think we'll take it along next time we go to Ikea and try to exchange it.

*the floor lamp: on clearance at Target for $17!

*the rug. I had the big rug/no rug/small rug dilemma, and finally went with this one just to keep the chair from sliding back into the shelves every time a kid sat on it. It's a chenille shag rug from Overstock. The cats love it, which makes it especially nice that it's small enough to go in my washing machine.

*magazine holders from Ikea, spray painted gray, to hold sheet music.
*lamps from Home Goods to give a little light for evening piano playing.

*snow globe with Chicago in it; from the thrift store
*picture of kids outside the Morocco bathroom at Epcot
*another of my grandmother's paintings
*framed....stuff the kids have done. Program and cast photo from The Jungle Book and flyer from a filmmaking class Ari took. Plan is for this wall to expand (and boat painting will probably find a new home at that point)

*Dave's guitar has a stand now, too! Milo's guitar is not lonely anymore.

The plaid chair has always been a bit of a placeholder. I think Ikea's Strandmon chair is going on my Christmas list to replace it (and the plaid chair may make its way up to the nursery, assuming I don't find anything fabulous to go in there before that)

How about a source list?
paint: Benjamin Moore's Nantucket Fog
shelves: Billy shelves from Ikea
curtains, rug: Overstock.com
floor lamp, green accent chairs: Target
table, magazine holders: Ikea
piano lamps, horse lamp: Home Goods
chair: Craigslist

Linking with:

Chic on a Shoestring's Flaunt it Friday

 

Bargain!

How about a post that doesn't require me to wrestle with my card reader problems, because the stuff it's about isn't in my house yet!? Yay!

I've been holding off on ordering the bunk bed for Milo and August's room, but I checked Target's website the other day and discovered that the set I was eyeing was on clearance.

It's the "Wrangler Bunk Bed" in espresso. The material is listed as "wood composite," so it's not the nicest bed in the whole world or anything, but it looks good in the picture, and the one review on the site has positive things to say.

The two other bunk beds I considered were this black metal one, also from Target:

This is pretty much exactly like the loft bed Milo sleeps in now, only bunk beds. It's on clearance for $107, so it's main selling point was price. But I really wanted something that at least looked like wood for the forest room.

And then I thought about this one from Ikea:

The price ($159) is good, and it's real pine....but I would have to paint or stain it, and I already have a pretty big line up of things waiting to be painted or stained.

So when the Wrangler, with its awesome cowboy name, went on clearance I was sold. It's marked down to $169 from $199, so not a super dramatic price change, BUT! Target.com was also having a sale wherein you got 15% off if you spent over $125. And on top of that I could use my Target card for 5% off and free shipping. So my final price after tax was $146.87. Cheaper than the Ikea bed! And close enough to the cost of the metal bed to make me feel good about paying a little more for the one I wanted.

And on top of that, I can still Craigslist the loft beds. The metal one is almost brand new is for sale on Target's website right now for $150, I think (it was on sale when we bought it, so we didn't pay that much). I'm thinking I'll try listing it for $90 or so and see what happens. And then maybe $75 or so for the one with the slide. It's older, but it's still in pretty good shape...and it has a slide! If I actually get close to that for them, I'll be breaking even on trading them in for the bunk bed.

Weekend projects/updates/previews of exciting things to come

This weekend was supposed to be the weekend for starting the tile in the master bathroom. But, after having a few people over for some backyard firepit fun last weekend for Dave's birthday, we decided that replacing the rickety old back porch steps before we have people here for Thanksgiving was a higher priority. Safety first! Nasty germy carpet second.

Dave rebuilt the front steps at our old house shortly before we moved, so he has some experience.  But  he went into this a little nervous anyway. For one thing, that step building project at the old house did not go entirely smoothly. For another thing, this is a longer flight of stairs. For one more thing, this stair building project requires tearing out the old, falling apart brick landing and figuring out how to have the stairs land nicely on the unlevel ground underneath. Whoever built the old stairs dealt with the uneven landing by sticking a little block of wood under one of the stringers. Not so stable. I envisioned emergency room trips and/or lawsuits every time someone walked down those steps.

So far things are going smoothly, though, and Dave's in much better spirits now than he was before he started this morning. Demolition went well, and tearing out the old brick landing turned out to be something that could be done with bare hands, so old and decrepit was it. And now we have a big pile of bricks that we can use to further beagle proof that back fence! We spend a lot of time thinking about beagle proofing fences around here. We live one house down from a very busy road, which The Beagle has actually run across on one of her little adventures. This, dear little Fiesta, is why I did not want a beagle! She's lucky she's irresistible. I am used to dogs that I wouldn't be able to lose if I tried.

Not sure how long the full step building project will take. Dave is hoping to finish tomorrow, but I suspect that's being a little optimistic. But here's a preview:

You can still see the block of wood they attached to the bottom of the steps on one side for leveling purposes! You can also see a little bit of what a giant disaster the whole deck/screened porch is. I'm not sure when that's all getting tackled. I get overwhelmed just thinking about it, and I'm not even sure where to start. Well, I guess we're starting with new steps. I think if we do that and then either replace or reattach the railing on the deck (not shown) then it will all at least be safe, if still incredibly ugly.

Other weekend plans involve tackling some of the little projects that we've been meaning to get around to for forever. I would like, for example, to hang a few more pictures and do some little painting projects so that I can finally call the library done....enough for now. So I'm mostly working on that today.

I'd also like to start working on the little counter/desk area in our kitchen, next to the garage, and turn it into a "command center" as people say. I feel silly saying command center. But, you know. This is what it looks like now:

And that's not even showing you the mess inside that cabinet there. I'm trying to think what all I need to make places for....I'm thinking calendars, menus, coupons, incoming mail, small tools we use a lot, reusable grocery bags.....and probably not so much cans of primer and shoes (although, to be fair, the shoes belong to a visiting kid, so they don't stay here all the time).  I am pinning things in preparation!

What exciting projects is everyone else up to this weekend?

Grain-free, gluten-free, low-carb chocolate muffins that kids like

My first recipe post!

Our baking needs around here are pretty....specific. So I find myself adapting recipes to the point of unrecognizability more often than just using them as is--at least with baked stuff (which is pretty much all I do. Dave is the cook; I am the baker). We are all glutenless, for various reasons that mostly boil down to a lot of autoimmune stuff and things just going more smoothly health and behavior-wise when we keep it that way (no one, as far as we know, actually has celiac disease). And, owing to a personal history of gestational diabetes and a family history of type II diabetes, I try to keep carbs low for myself. And then I just prefer grain-free over not, though the kids wind up with plenty of grains in their diets, really.

So coming up with things that I can eat AND the kids like is sometimes challenging. But I made these muffins last night, and they're a hit with the whole family (even muffin skeptic, Ari). I've been toying around with the recipe for awhile, and I think I finally have it how I want it, so I'm recording it for posterity before I forget how I made it. The result is a not too sweet but very chocolately muffin with a nice, non-crumbly texture. It would be REALLY good topped with the chocolate buttercream I have leftover from Dave's birthday cupcakes, but I'm trying not to go there. For the BABY.

Food photography is not my thing. But this is what they look like:

Uhh, like chocolate muffins. The recipe is very, very loosely adapted from a King Arthur flour recipe. So loosely that I wasn't sure I should even mention it.

Here's what you need:
Makes around 16 muffins. Inconvenient, I know. That's just how it turned out.

2/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut flour
3/4 cup tapioca starch
1 1/4 cups erythritol
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 bar (more or less) 85% cocoa chocolate, chopped
3 eggs
1/2 tsp stevia
1 cup whole milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp vinegar
1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400. Prepare greased muffin tins or use silicone muffin cups (I LOVE my silicone muffin cups, btw).

Mix cocoa, coconut flour, tapioca starch, erythritol, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.

In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk eggs and then mix well with other liquid ingredients. Pour liquid mixture into dry ingredient bowl and mix. Fold in chopped chocolate.

Fill muffin tins around 3/4 of the way full and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I am figuring, very roughly, that these come in at around 7-8 grams of carbs per muffin, assuming you zero out the erythritol. The tapioca starch is by far the biggest source of carbs. I use Ener-G brand, which, the nutrition info says has 63 grams in 3/4 cups, or just under 4 grams per muffin. The milk and eggs and chocolate all add a bit more. Most of the carbs in coconut flour are fiber, so another small amount of net carbs from that. And I'm probably forgetting something, but that's what I'm coming up with.

A few notes on ingredients:

Coconut flour/tapioca starch: coconut flour is my go to flour these days. Combining it with the tapioca starch makes it hold together better, keeps you from needing to use a gazillion eggs like in a lot of coconut flour recipes, and just kind of gives things a more "normal" taste and texture. I don't think you taste coconut at all in this recipe, but I may just be used to it. Cocoa does a good job of masking it, though.

Erythritol/stevia: my favorite fake sugar combo. Both because I like the way it tastes and because I haven't found anything too scary about erythritol. Maybe there'll be a study soon saying it makes lab rats grow an extra head, but for now I feel fine about eating it and giving it to the kids.

Homeschool.....Friday!

Back before I bailed on the old homeschool blog, I announced big plans for a post about all the not-at-our-house stuff we do this year. There is...a lot. Here's what that schedule looks like right now:

Monday: classes at LEO in the morning. Ari's taking a logic class, and Milo and Gus are taking science.

Tuesday: Spanish in the morning (tutor comes here to do a class with my kids plus our friends who live nearby). Milo and Gus have lego robotics at a friend's house in the afternoons. Every other week, Ari has physics at LEO. Gus has tap from 4-5. And until next month, Gus has rehearsals for A Christmas Carol (he's Tiny Tim!) in the evenings. Tuesdays are....busy.

Wednesday: Ari has a Manga class in the afternoon, and the other boys hang out at the playground with friends while that's going on. Fiesta has obedience class in the evenings, and a kid generally comes with me to that.

Thursday: Milo and Gus have a boy's club they go to every other week. Milo has guitar in the late afternoons. Gus has rehearsal again. And Ari is blissfully unscheduled all day!

Friday: a bit in flux right now. We often get together with friends.

Saturday: Ari and Milo have archery practice in the mornings, although that's about to go on hiatus until after New Year's.

Sunday: Gus has rehearsal in the afternoon, and Ari has math club (at our house, coached by Dave).

Phew! Uhh....it makes appreciate our time at home more? Well, it does. I know that it is fashionable to wax philosophical about whether kids are overscheduled these days and should be spending more time building fairy houses in the woods instead and all that. This is just sort of how our year has shaped up, free of philosophy-based planning. The kids seem completely fine with it; I would like more of our evenings back....but I'm the one who went and scheduled Fiesta's obedience class smack in between Christmas Carol rehearsals.

August's theater career takes up more of the week than anything else, and he's our token extrovert, so he handles it well. He did a drama camp the summer he was five and fell completely in love with acting. So he's been involved in one play or another more often than not since then.

A Christmas Carol is the first play he's done that's not strictly children's theater. The cast is a mix of kids and adults, and he's the youngest one (though not the smallest; he makes for a rather tall Tiny Tim). He did another wintry-themed play last year at the same time, and I'm kind of loving how going to see Gus in a seasonal play is becoming a thing we do for Christmas. A Christmas Carol opens the day after Thanksgiving this year, so Dave's parents will be in town and able to see him on stage for the first time.

Here are some cruddy iphone pictures from the day they took publicity photos (hoping I'll be able to get some copies of the ones that were taken with a real camera and from a better angle).

With the carollers (he's on the front row, second from the right):

And with the whole cast (bottom right) (with the photographer's arm in the foreground):