The Washroom

Our laundry room has been a 4 year project. I have been trying to figure out what to do with this space. It isn't the biggest room, but it seems to be big enough to really use it! When we purchased the home it was an empty room. We have added so much to it since then! 

The first step was to add a utility sink. Check. 

Step two was to add cupboards for some extra storage space. It's so great for hiding all of the towels, rags, toilet paper, paper towels, light bulbs, and laundry supplies. Thanks to my dad and James for spending an afternoon of their time getting them installed for me! I am so glad I spent a few extra dollars and got the corner cupboard, it really added a nice dimension to the room.

They then took the hanging wire rack and added it to the other side of the room. I really needed some place to hang the clothes when they needed to air dry and a space for the laundry baskets to be stored off of the floor. The photo below is what the room has looked like for the past year or so. I was still really coveting a mud room and kept trying to figure out how to incorporate that into this room, and not lose the functionality of the room.

Here's what we came up with.

We decided to add a cubbie shelf and a bench and voila! It turned this space into a perfectly practical "washroom"! And I adore every bit of it!

We purchased the cubbie shelf at Home Depot for $26 (Closetmaid three shelf x2). The bench is really just a 12" shelf that we cut down to fit and used brackets (12" L brackets) to hold it up.
I found the amazing teal, plastic baskets at Target (these were a splurge at $7 each YIKES!). Each kid has their own basket for their shoes. I have a basket for outdoors (sunscreen, bug spray, water balloons, swim diapers, etc). I think my favorite basket is my returns basket. Everybody needs one of those to keep the items and receipts together!

Did you seen that?? Those white baskets are filled with boots! Yes! Finally a home for dingy boots!

And this lovely contraption hangs behind the door. A nice place for the mop, broom, and plastic bags.

I adore this teal poster. It was my inspiration for the entire room color scheme. Isn't it lovely?

I'm one happy, organized momma! It's amazing what a few baskets can do to make me giddy!

Portland and Astoria

I've always wanted to visit Portland. I have been to Oregon with my family when I was in college, but we didn't make it into the city (why would you venture into a city when you're camping…we're trying to avoid people, right Dad?). When James' brother, Beau moved to the city I couldn't wait to go and visit him! Portland was gorgeous (and weird, kinda like a giant sized Boulder, CO).

While James, his dad, and the kids braved the 19 hour drive, Caleb and I flew (I'll take a 3 hour journey over a 2 day journey any day, thank you very much!). And this baby was perfectly angelic on the plane. We even had to sit in the middle seat and this baby hardly made a peep! He even enjoyed the turbulence, smiling and giggling with each drop.

Beau picked us up from the airport and then we ate at Mother's in downtown Portland. If you ever have the chance to eat there, it's worth the 45 minute wait. Seriously, yummy! Caleb is making really funny old man faces lately. He's seriously cracking me up with them! 

A trip to VooDoo Doughnut was to be expected. It was yummy, yet a little less than "family friendly" on the inside. Ella's had bubblegum on the top, mine had bacon; I win.
I hear this place can have crazy long lines…to me…not worth waiting more than 15 min. It's still a just a doughnut, folks.

We then walked around the river, and visited their Saturday market, which felt like I was walking through a real life Etsy. If I lived here I would run on this bridge!

We rode the tram, ate at Lardos (YUM, order the gyro and dirty fries :: you will feel like a lardo when you leave), went to Washington Park (gorgeous), the Rose Garden, the Children's Museum, ate more yummy food (gained about 5 lbs), and loved this city. 

On our way back from Cannon Beach we stopped in Astoria (the town the Goonies was placed in). Holy guacamole!! It is GORGEOUS; so, very breathtaking. It's hilly roads reminded me of San Francisco, but it's river/ocean views cannot be beat; truly magnificent. We visited the Tower on top of a hill. You walk up 164 stairs to the top and you can throw a balsa wood plane from the top. The boys loved it, I don't especially love heights and could barely let my back leave the column. And then my camera ran out of batter :( Good thing I captured the fun before it ran out of juice! 

It was such a fun and exhausting trip. By the end, this is how we all felt…

With the exception of the baby…

We'll be back one day. It's too gorgeous to stay away for too long!

Cannon Beach

Growing up I loved watching The Goonies (who didn't?) and our family just had the great joy to visit the beach they filmed part of the movie on. Cannon Beach is one of the most gorgeous beaches I've seen. The weather was perfect, the water was freezing, the kids loved every moment, and it was Caleb's first trip to the ocean; it was a fabulous day.

We made the trip to Orgon to visit Uncle Beau (James' brother). He moved out there and broke the kid's hearts. They love their Uncle Beau, he's a fabulous uncle. The three older kids drove out (oish) with James and his dad, while Caleb and I flew (phew).

This is how you have to feed a baby when the sun is hot and the baby needs shade, well it is how we do it.

The boys asked us to bury them in the sand and make it look like they were riding a motorcycle. We made them look like mermaids instead, yet told them they were riding motorcycles. They will kill us when they figure it out. We're good parents, really we are.

Look at that line of drool from his mouth, it's like that all the time. 

It was such a great part of our trip. We loved Oregon.