Dear Mayhem's Mom -- I get it.

Dear Mayhem's Mom, 

I can't remember where I read it first. I had so many people send me the link to the article about "the mother who makes paper dresses with her 4 year old fashion guru," that I lost track. 

As many close to me have known, my now 5 year old daughter has also expressed a similar love for fashion at a very young age. I believe she began dressing herself around the age of 2 1/2 and I quickly gave up the battle of matching outfits, and let her little mind create whatever she wanted to wear from then on. Now she spends her free time drawing outfits hoping the designers will create someday. I don't have this gene, so I'm not sure where she gets it. lol. 

I showed her the article and all the photos of the dresses you and Mayhem created. Her eyes lit up in the most glorious way and in an instant she was off to draw the first dress she wanted us to make. 

We made our first paper dress together that day. 

But I got more than just an idea for an outlet for my daughter's creativity from reading that article. 

I sit here today overwhelmed with how much I get it. 

You have capitalized on a precious time period in your daughter's life that will never be forgotten. You found a way to capture these sweet, innocent moments where deciding on her next dress is the biggest decision she has to make. 

As a mommy of 3 little ones, the days are long, but the years are short and soon enough the days of paper dress making will be behind us. Mayhem will grow, and you will one day tape together your last paper dress, but this memory that you have made will never ever fade. 

You helped your child's creativity blossom. 

You stepped into her world and brought it to life. 

You selflessly took time from your day and spent it by her side creating memories that truly will last a lifetime. 

A mother that didn't begin something for her own gain, but a mother that chose to get on the floor with her baby and spend the time with her, someone noticed and something big came of it. 

The love you have shown your child by your dedication and presence is what I saw. 

This is why I immediately went to follow you on Instagram and overloaded your website with clicks. 

I saw something that was truly special, and I know I'm not alone. 

An innocent and creative outlet for you and your daughter. 

Yes, your dresses are amazing, but that was just the outcome of a love that could be felt by the hundreds of thousands of people that saw that post. 

We could feel the love, the real love that would make a mom spend countless hours putting together dresses to be worn for 5 minutes a day. 

That's the beauty. 

This world LONGS to see love like this. 

And I'm just a mom touched by your story. 

I get it. 

Beauty in the simplest way. 

Time spent on your little one's passion. 

Selfless. Fun. Love. 

I pray you keep creating, keep spending those moments with her on the floor during the craziness that has now become your life. 

I know I'm not alone when I say I'm inspired. 

Inspired to find my own outlet with each of my kids as I watch them grow and see their own interests unfold. 

Mayhem's Mom, thank you. 

I get it. 

♥ 

#inspiredbymayhem 

Domestication breakthrough.

Ok, I am deviating from my typical blog posts because I have recently had a domestication breakthrough... 6 1/2 years into marriage and 5 years into mommyhood.   I want to shout from the rooftops what has been working for me, so this was the best way to do so. lol.   Here's the gist..  

Yup, you read that correct.    I have found a solution to my never ending laundry crisis in the Hawthorne home.   I am not about to tell you that my solution is the only way, I'm just here to tell what has been working for this stay-at-home, part-time work at home, homeschooling, mamma of a 5, 3 and 1 year old.   I'm sure as the kids get older, different seasons, this method will have to change, but for now, I'm rocking it out!   I'm also here to tell you that I did not come up with this on my own.   My dear friend came over to play a few weeks ago, and when I went on my typical rant about the fact that I can never keep up on the laundry, she very simply told me that she doesn't really have that problem.   I gasped.   She as well is a momma of a 4, 3 and 1 year old.   She told me what she does, and I immediately set out to give it a whirl. I mean, we all know the definition of insanity right? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. lol.   Guess what.   It's been working.   So here goes!!   ONE MOMMA'S SOLUTION TO THE LAUNDRY CRISIS:   1. Only use ONE laundry basket for all of the family's clothes. I know what you are thinking... but I have SUCH a cute hamper in my baby's room!!! Use it for toys, stuffed animals, I don't care what. But DON'T use it for dirty laundry! lol! I'm telling you, having all the laundry in many different rooms contributes to the chaos. I have one small basket that I can carry downstairs to the laundry room and it is in our master bedroom walk-in closet.  

  2. Get rid of all laundry baskets that hold enough dirty clothes to keep you washing for an entire weekend and still not be caught up. Kelly, my sweet neighbor, if you are reading this, I actually felt guilty when I gave you my big baskets a few weeks ago.. wondering if I was contributing to your laundry crisis. LOL.  

  3. Keep 3 small baskets in your laundry room for sorting. I have a very small laundry room, so there is not enough space to have a sorting hamper in there. So that's where my three small baskets on top of the washer and dryer come in. One for light, one for dark, and one for special attention clothes! hehe.   These baskets are $3.99 each at Target. Get them! lol!   http://www.target.com/p/laundry-basket-rectangular-seagoing/-/A-13673970#prodSlot=medium_1_14&term=laundry+basket   4. EVERY MORNING bring down the small basket from the closet and sort clothes into correct baskets. This takes all of 5 minutes. No excuses! lol.   5. As soon as a basket load is full, throw it in. I usually do this first thing in the morning. Following coffee of course. This happens quickly since the sorting baskets are small.   6. On average, I'm doing around two loads every other day it seems like. Of course, when you have newborns in the mix, this will probably be a daily thing with all the burp clothes, blankets.. etc. On the days in between I will rotate with bedding.   7. As soon as a load is done, fold it and put it away. I did this very scientific experiment a few months ago and calculated the time it took me to casually take out a load from the dryer, bring it upstairs, fold it, and put it away. I know some of you are not going to believe me, but it took me 7 minutes. Of course, I wasn't distracted by a newborn or being requested by a toddler, but my friends, if we have a 10 minute window we can do this!!! lol!    8. Let your kids help. Addyson, my 5 year old, was fully capable of folding, sorting and organizing her clean clothes into her drawers! And on top of it, she was excited to help and felt accomplished!  

  TA-DA!!   That's it.   NOTE: If you are like me, you will be appalled at how many clothes you actually have. When all the laundry is caught up, I could barely close my kids' drawers.. and let's not even talk about my own closet.. So unnecessary! We ended up going through all the clothes and finding an awesome local organization that we could donate some of them to. Good Will is good... but there are other organizations that are GREAT! Some of them are helping parents that can't afford to clothe their babies.. and they are doing it for free...     One of those in my area is called Solutions For Change.   http://www.solutionsforchange.org/ ♥    We have lots on our plates as busy moms and dads.   Hopefully this little laundry tip will help a few of you, and maybe some of you can comment with some solutions that have worked for you!   Raising kids is an amazing blessing...and a lot of work!    Let's conquer this laundry crisis so we can move on to the more important things!    I can't begin to explain the little bit of freedom I have experienced from this little method. Those baskets that were always haunting me are gone.   Yes, there will be days where things will surely get behind, but let me tell you, this is a breakthrough!!   XO.   ♥

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

Galations 6:9

Instagram Friday {Thanksgiving}

Here it is, Instagram Friday!

{Thanksgiving edition}

I realized I took plenty of pics at our first stop and then once we got to my parents house, well, I was kinda over it! I wanted to just put down the camera and spend time with the fam. Of course that means not even one picture of my family and inside of my parents house. Or even any food! lol. Oh well, I promise I'll do better on Christmas! 

So here are some things I am truly, truly, thankful for. 

1. Jesus - He saved my life. 

2. My family - We are incredibly close, and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

3. My children - Bring more joy to my life than I knew was possible. 

4. My husband - His heart, his love for the Lord, his genuine spirit, the way he leads our household. 

5. Our home - The place where our own traditions are beginning. 

6. Our friends - We truly have some amazing friends. People that would drop everything at anytime to help us if we were in need. 

7. Health - I know being in a season of good health is so much to be thankful for.

8. Our jobs - although tough at times to run our own small businesses, I'm thankful for a job that allows us to never worry about food on our table. 

9. Our church - I have never learned, grown, and been excited about my faith as much as I have since finding our now home church, The Movement.

10. Blogging - Incredibly blessed by the inspiration, encouragement, and creativity I've found since my blogging journey began.

 I actually did it myself. Was a HUGE hit. Was even told I need to make this an annual occurrence. 

John's beautiful momma. Jack & Lobos.  

 I had total bathroom envy at my brother-in-law's house. LOVE that sink!! And wardrobe mirrors!

 All boy cousins at this house, means the only dress up is a Superman mask! Good enough for her. 

Love them. That's all. :) 

 Pointing out Uncle's truck of course! 

 The house I grew up in. Now "grammy gram and grandpa's." 

 Sawyer saying, "come on mom!" 

 Thanksgiving day hair do. She is getting too big. :( 

{Linked up here}

DIY Toddler Scarecrow Costume

I decided to give it a shot... My very first DIY toddler costume!!!

For those that know me in "real life," know this is a HUGE step for me.

I'm usually really good at paying people to make things rather than even attempting to try them myself.

I'm telling ya, something has gotten into me! You amazingly talented bloggers are rubbing off!!! I decided, what the heck, I'll give it a shot and how bad can it be. I was so thrilled with how it came out that I think I sent the Instagram images below to everyone in my family including a few friends. I think they were all just as shocked to see me being crafty.

We went to a Harvest Festival at a local church today and I was able to try out the costume on my little man. The costume was an absolute hit. People were stopping and staring at his cuteness! And best of all, I didn't see ONE other scarecrow there! Now, trying to take pics of a 19 month old boy at a festival is nearly impossible. I got a few and hope to get more tomorrow when we are out trick-or-treating. It will be our first time taking the kids around our neighborhood!

As for the DIY scarecrow costume... well, I was concentrating too hard to even think about taking pics of the steps, but here are all the "ingredients" that I used. 

BEFORE

AFTER

Since we are out in San Diego, I thought the surfer style trucker hat made the perfect accessory. Sawyer won't ever wear hats, but he actually kept it on most of the evening. I was stoked. 

Oh and FYI, I have never cut Addyson's or Sawyer's hair. I thought the "wings" of hair on the sides made him look more in costume. LOL. 

A few pics of my little man modeling the costume. 

{More of Snow White and her rainbow tiara tomorrow}

Looking at my little loves in their costumes today made me kind of sad... I couldn't believe how big my boy was... 

This was him 1 year ago... 

My little sock monkey is growing up too fast!

And my little bunny has now turned into a princess.. 

Oh let the tears begin!! 

 Wishing you all a safe and happy Halloween!

You can follow me on Instagram @heathermhawthorne

{Linking up here, here, here, here, here, here, here }

{Truly Lovely} Craft with Kassi

I'm absolutely honored to be doing a blog swap today with 

Kassi of Truly Lovely.  

I was drawn to her page when I saw it was her and her sister that started it. I have two sisters and they are my absolute best friends. I secretly wanted another girl when I found out I was pregnant with Sawyer because all I knew was how special a sister bond can be. Of course, now my little man melts my heart and I couldn't be happier with that little boy in my life. But I've always cherished my friendship with my two sisters. I think it's awesome that she too has such an amazing relationship with her sister that they even shared the passion for blogging together. So cool. 

Anyways, Kassi is also extremely talented in the "crafty" category and when we decided to swap I told her my blog is desperate for a craft over here! Something easy! So that's what she did. 

I hope you enjoy! And if you want, check out my post over at her blog today! I'm talking about my Facebook journey as a whole. Why I started, where it has taken me, what the Lord has shown me through it all... 

Meet Kassi! 

♥     ♥     ♥     ♥     ♥



Well hello there lovely MWAF readers!!
My name is Kassi and I blog over at Truly Lovely!
I am THRILLED to be here blog swapping with the lovely Heather! 
She's our Bloggie Bestie over on Truly Lovely this week, so when you're finished here you can find her guest posting over at our place!!!



Truly Lovely is an 'all things lovely' blog written by myself and my younger sister, Kayli!
Miss Kayli and I are very close and we enjoy sharing all the lovelies in our lives including (but not limited to) crafts, recipes, stories, photos and more with our fun readers!!! :) 



You can click that picture to learn more about us but in the meantime, I have a SUPER easy, SUPER quick crafty project to share with you all!
Halloween is ALMOST here! Only a few days left to prepare!!!

So here's a quick, easy Halloween craft for those last minute decorations!! 

Spider Web Candles

First, I bought two white candles at Wal-Mart. 

Then used my Silhouette SD to cut out two spider webs in black vinyl. 

The spider web is a FREE shape included with the software!

If you don't have a Silhouette, you could easily purchase a sheet of Halloween stickers, or if you're really ambitious... 
Trace an outline of a spiderweb onto some vinyl (you can get a large sheet at Wal-Mart for less than $10) and cut it out with an Exacto knife or scissors. 


Carefully stick your cutouts (or stickers) onto the candles and smooth all edges. 

Done! Quick and easy! And so, so cute!

What are you scaring up these last few days before Halloween lovelies?? 

We would love to hear about it!! :)

Thanks again to Heather for having me over!!! 

She is SO fun, right!?!?

And thanks for being our Bloggie Bestie this week!!! 

To learn more about becoming a Bloggie Bestie, click here.

Until then... Hope to see you dolls around Truly Lovely sometime!

The World's Lamest DIY Headband by Moi

Okay, so like I've mentioned before, DIY projects intimidate me. Probably more than they should. lol. I'm not sure what the deal is. I think I just have never thought of myself as a crafty person. I've always been the type that would rather scrapbook digitally or help with marketing an item rather than create it. I think that's why my mommy hobby was ONE skill that I got really good at... using a gun {spray tanning gun that is!} and I didn't have to have too much creativity to be successful. That's just my brain I suppose!

I will not keep my blog without DIY projects or recipes all together though... that's the fun of having some talented friends do guest posts now and again! Marketing all the amazing things YOU all do is right up my ally!! And please, email me if you are interested. I'd love to have you. ☺

Anyways, back to this incredibly lame DIY that I have done lately. And yes, I'm totally making fun of myself for even doing a post for this, but this is ME getting CRAFTY! I must document it! 

I have been totally inspired by seeing all the adorable headbands out there and fell in love with the style of headband that goes around your head, not on top. I have never been able to successfully pull off a good looking headband on top of my head. Maybe I have an odd shaped head? I really have no idea! lol. But this whole idea of going around the head, I LOVE. And my 3 year old has been sporting this look for years, absolutely REFUSING to wear headbands on top of her head, only around her head, so maybe she just knew this style before it was trendy. Go Addy! Oh, and my husband loves this look too!! WIN all the way around the Hawthorne house! ♥

Okay, so for this fabulous DIY headband you need two items and you can find them both at my favorite store H&M. 

1. a braided headband {great deals on the clearance rack!}

2. a flower clip {there are about a million amazing colors that you have to limit yourself to one or two each time you go!}

Okay so this is really tricky, so watch carefully.... LOL.

Lovely braided headband and flower clip from H&M!

I bet you have NO idea what I'm going to do with this clip huh?

TA DA!!! As Addy would say!

And you can swap colors!!

And even swap flower sizes!!

Or even swap headband colors!!

Okay, I'm done. Lol.

And sporting the World's Lamest DIY headband!

Sawyer doesn't care too much about my headband...

There you have it folks.

{ Linked up here and here! }