Waters of Rest

  While in the nesting mood I've been trying to improve some areas of our house since most of the baby stuff has been quick and easy to prep. This afternoon I spent time putting together this entryway decor right across from the mudroom wall we had installed this past week. I'm really happy with how this whole area has turned out, and I think it'll be a fun area to switch out with some seasonal decor too.  Adding a mudroom wall was the perfect solution for our coat storage since we are missing a closet anywhere near our front door. Installing this board and batten wall with hooks and a decorative ledge changed the art niche into a beautiful feature wall full of function!  Shop my entryway here!

  Talia and Tibby helped cook a family favorite tonight, one pot Cheesy Tortellini! 🥘 They LOVE helping in the kitchen and I love having the space to spread out and nurture their abilities. This is a super simple meal to add to your weekly dinner plan! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here’s the Recipe! -One pound Italian sausage (ground or cut up is fine) -16oz frozen cheese tortellini -2 to 3 cups of fresh cut spinach -1 can diced Italian style tomatoes -6 to 8oz cream cheese -(not pictured) 2 cups of chicken stock •-•-•-• Brown sausage in pan, add spinach until tender, add in chicken stock, tomatoes and tortellini. Cover and let cook 6-8 minutes until pasta is tender. Add in cream cheese and mix, cooking until fully incorporated. Serve with some fresh parmesan on top! 😋

I have been asked by several friends recently about homeschooling, so I thought it might be helpful to make a post for anyone else who may be considering it as an option for their kids this upcoming school year. For the info I am sharing, it is mostly relative to Texas. Homeschool laws vary WIDELY by state, so if you live outside of Texas, please check your state laws before proceeding. I recommend visiting HSLDA.org which is a national  homeschool advocacy agency and where you can find legal information for every state.  The legal rules of homeschooling in Texas. Homeschools are exempt from the compulsory attendance statute because they are considered a type of private school under Section 25.086(a)(1) of the Texas Education Code. According to the TEA vs. Leeper case, the only legal requirements to homeschool in Texas are: * The instruction must be bona fide (i.e., not a sham). * The curriculum must be in visual form (e.g., books, workbooks, video monitor). * The curriculum m...

  Our sweet girl began preK this school year, and although we don't technically do formal lessons until 6 years old-ish, she has been BEGGING to do schoolwork alongside her older brother each day. I originally read about ABC Bins/Baskets on another homeschooling blog,  1plus1plus1equals1.net , and began using the concept with Troy when he was around 4 also.  The idea is simple enough, each week (or however long of a time period you want) you focus on one letter at a time, and you fill a bin or basket with letter specific items like toys, flash cards, books, etc., to help your child focus on the letter sound and shape. It's meant to be a casual learning activity, playful, fun, open-ended and child-led. She loves discovering her new letters each week and I absolutely love watching her dig into her schoolwork with such enthusiasm.  Shop our ABC Bin ideas here! Watch our ABC Bin walkthrough on my Instagram!

 We decided to do our first splurge on the new house and add a little curb appeal. We love the wood look garage doors we have, and especially the contrast with the white stone. We decided adding matching wood shutters would really add a nice pop amongst the brick. We love the new look it gives the front of our house! Check out the before photo below the finished result! Before photo without shutters

When we bought our new home, one of my FAVORITE features was this gorgeous walk-in pantry! (FYI-This is only half of it 😬!!) I was so glad to have ample space to build a good stockpile of pantry staples (so useful now too with all the Covid-19 stuff going on) and I loved being able to give everything a functional space and have easy access for kid's snacks and commonly used items. Target recently had a storage sale and that's where I was able to buy most of my items. For links to most of the items and similar one's I've brought over from our old house, shop my pantry organization here!    

  We are thankful to God for the joy of expecting a new addition to our family! We hope to be holding our sweet rainbow baby  🌈 by the end of the summer! 💗

Being in a new house has given me a nice blank slate to decorate. I haven't done much since we moved right before the holiday craziness began, but I figured it was now a new year and I needed something new and fun in the living room. I haven't quite decided what my decorating style is going to be in this house, but I thought it would be fun to do a mix of textures and items for some easy, neutral mantle decor that could easily go from winter to spring. I pretty much bought everything at Hobby Lobby!