Suzanne McGrath Photography

Thrifty Thursday...Back to School Organization

I thought it would be fitting to do a back to school post about how I organize the girls' stuff - mostly papers. 

With four kids in school (one in middle school, two in grade school, one in preschool) we have a LOT of papers, workbooks, planners, etc. flying around.  While I am not the cleanest person in the world, I despise clutter!  In fact, clutter makes me grumpy.  My entire family will attest to that fact!  Actually, I have very few decorating accessories because it becomes clutter (in my mind) rather quickly.  You could say I have Type A tendencies.  You won't hurt my feelings.

So...here is my entire system which encompasses the whole school year.  It's not hard because I have found if I have too many steps in a system I won't adhere to it - nor will the kids.  So this super simple!

Step 1:  When the girls get home they immediately empty their backpacks and lunch boxes.  (I'm not gonna lie - this routine took awhile to become a habit!  But it's so worth it.)  Backpacks are hung on the hooks by the garage door.

Lunch boxes are put into a cabinet in the kitchen.  (Which is super easy while we have no cabinet doors installed due to our remodel.  So ignore the recyle bin, the ugly cabinets, etc.) 

Step 2:  The girls put all their papers or folders into these wall file holders I bought at Staples.  This is my absolute favorite step.  I mean FAVORITE!  As I said, I detest clutter and without these folders, I'd have piles of paper everywhere - on the table in the foyer, the kitchen desk, the kitchen table or counters.    This way, I can go through their papers at my leisure; keeping notable artwork or something worth saving and tossing the rest.  While I'm reviewing everything I sign my 5th grader's planner and then put it back into her school bag.  That way she knows I've done my job.  I do the same for my 1st grader, putting her Backpack Buddy folder back into her backpack.  My middle schooler hasn't had a lot of paperwork yet so I'm not sure where we'll land with her!

The big girls have the top two boxes:

The little girls have the bottom two (lower) boxes:

Step 3:  Most of their papers are recycled, but if there is something I want to keep, I bring it upstairs to my room where I have four of these file boxes under my bed:  one for each of the girls.  Inside I have hanging file dividers by grade.  And I'll be honest here...sometimes I don't actually file anything for a year or *ahem* two!  But whatevs...it gets done...eventually!  

 

Inside #1's box:

Step 4:  I have one last trick up my sleeve.  Grade school artwork is pretty cool, in my book.  So I like to save a lot of it but a lot of it is BIG.  Like bigger than an 8.5" x 11" paper.  So I have one big rubbermaid tote box and I simply throw all large artwork in there.  That's right - all four girls share the same one.  And it doesn't bother me at all since everything always has their name and grade on it.  Plus, it's fun to go through it every once in awhile and reminisce with the girls.  They really get a kick out of looking through it all! 

Here it is - I included the shoe because it was right in front of me as I was snapping these pictures but mostly to give you idea of scale:

And there you have it - my entire system: A through Z!  Do you have any tips or tricks that work for you?

 

Thrifty Thursday...a Dollhouse

I'm here tonight with very few words and just a handful of pictures...

For Christmas this year we made a couple of the little girls' gifts.  And I'm here tonight to show you the Dollhouse!  I did not come up with this plan on my own.  Oh no!  My brain was fuzzy in December so I used a plan from Ana White.

I do have a few take-aways from her plan.  First, I wouldn't even both with the kreg jig if you have a nail gun.  If you've got a pneumatic nailer, I'd just use that and forget pre-drilling.  I think it would go much faster.  Second, I wouldn't do the stairs the way Ana did, either.  We used a sliding miter saw to notch out a 2x4.  If you got creative you could probably pull it off with a circular saw, but it would be harder.  Lastly, we didn't bother with the layers of roof.  Admittedly Ana's roof is cuter, but ours was faster and we were up against a deadline!  So check it out:

 

OK.  So I forgot to tell you not to look at the dirty floors!  We were in the midst of stair madness when nothing stayed clean for longer than 12 hours.

 

Notice it's on wheels.  It allows the kids to easily turn it around.  And did you happen to notice the different "wallpaper" on each side?  Fun!  I juse used modge podge and scrapbook paper from my stash.

 

Check out those stairs.  Awesome, huh?  And I went for a mid century vibe.  Can you tell with that retro raised floor?

A close up.  They're totally not perfect but the girls haven't noticed.

 

One final shot.  Cute, no?

The girls do play with this.  I will say I noticed they play with their toys the best when I rotate them around. Right now the play kitchen is up in the hallway outside their room and this is in the basement.  Perhaps some day I'll trade them out.  But in reality, this thing is huge!  It's not like we can just shove it into a corner.  But if they play with it, I consider that a success!

Holler if you try this and have any questions.  It really wasn't that difficult, thank goodness!

 

Six on Sunday...the make up edition

OK.  I'm back on Sunday.  I'll try to make this one longer to catch you all up with our life.

1.  We had a fabulous Memorial weekend.  It was so nice to just stay home and hang out.  There was no agenda - just whatever sounded good to us.  No softball games, no soccer games, minimal swim practices.  Sweet.

2.  I did manage to squeeze in shooting my wedding.  Of course it rained.  That's twice in a row.  I feel like I'm a jinx.  Seriously.  What's up with the rain?  Of course we managed to work around the rain and a full wedding post is coming up.  But I have about a bajilion images to edit first - so it may take a little while longer than normal!  For now, here is your sneak peak.  Hint:  Darcy's flowers were GORGEOUS!

3.  The last two weekends have been filled with this:

It's been great.  This weekend both the grandparents ended up being in town on the same night.  The hubby's folks were traveling through KC on their way home from Hilton Head and my folks were traveling through KC on their way to vacation in Arkansas.  We decided to join forces and we had a FABULOUS evening at the pool and back at my sister's homestead eating pizza.  Yesterday was a day that definitely filled my bucket.

4.  I've managed to squeeze in long runs the past two weekends.  I really like getting my run in early Saturday morning.  It just sets such a great tone to my weekend.  Last weekend I suckered the hubby into 8 with me and this weekend I suckered my friend, Carmen, into 6 with me.  (I may have run a few more miles afterward.)  All in all, I just love it.  I'm not training for anything but I still enjoy the long runs.

5.  #1 and #2 both had their last day of school.  I think I was just as excited as they were because the last day of school means SUMMER has arrived!

6.  I've tried out new recipes in the last few weeks and they have both been SUCCESSES!  The first was a family favorite.  In a family of six people it's difficult - if not impossible - to come up with something new that all six of us enjoy.  This was one of those meals.  I found this somewhere on the internet but I can't remember exactly where.  Therefore, I do not take credit for this DELICIOUSNESS.

Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce (serves 4 or six if there are four kids!)

For the Tzatziki Sauce:

16 oz. plain greek yogurt, drained

1 cucumber, peeled and seeded

2-3 large garlic cloves, crushed with a garlic press

1 tsp white wine vinegar

salt and pepper

juice of 1 lemon (about 2 Tbsp)

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:

4 cloves garlic, crushed with a garlic press

juice of 1 lemon

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 heaping Tbsp plain yogurt

1 Tbsp oregano

salt and pepper

1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and butterflied

To assemble:

Pita bread or Mediterranean flatbread

Fresh tomatoes, diced or sliced

Cucumbers, thinly sliced

Red onion, thinly sliced

Romaine lettuce, shredded

Feta, crumbled

Prepare Chicken:

1.  In a shallow baking dish, combine all ingredients except chicken, mix well

2.  Spread seasoning mixture evenly over chicken, cover entire dish and refrigerate for an hour

Prepare tzatziki sauce:

1.  In a food processor or blender on the pulse setting, chop cucumber until finely chopped.  Squeeze excess liquid from the chopped cuke with paper towels (there is a LOT of extra liquid) - you want to remove as much of the water as possible.

2.  Add all other tzatziki ingredients to the food processor and pulse until well combined.

3.  Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for an hour or more to let the flavors meld.

Grill Chicken:

1.  Grill chicken on medium heat or cook under a broiler until cooked through.

Assemble Gyros:

Spread tzatziki sauce on half of one pita, add chicken, lettuce, cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes, and crumbled feta.  Top with more tzatziki if desired.

Chow down!

The hubby and I also tried out a steak recipe that we LOVED.  The chimichurri sauce is so good that you can even dip your broccoli into.  Does it get any more perfect than that?  I think not.

Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri

12 oz flank, skirt, or sirloin steak

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1 bunch scallions

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp water

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried red-pepper flakes

1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

How to Make it:

1. To make the chimichurri sauce, mix the vinegar, water, garlic, salt, pepper flakes, and black pepper.  Whisk in the olive oil.  When everything's blended, whisk in the parsley

2.  Preheat a grill or grill pan on high.  Season the steak with salt and pepper and place it on the hot grill.  For medium rare, cook it for 3-4 minutes on each side.  Trim the roots from the scallions and add the entire bunch to the grill just after you've flipped the steak.  Cook the scallions until they're lightly charred, about 4 - 5 minutes.  

3.  Drizzle the steak wit the chimichurri sauce and serve it with the grilled scallions.

I tore this recipe out of the hubby's Men's Health two years ago.  I don't know why it took me two years to try this - it was great and super easy!

7.  Last weekend we took a family bike ride to Einstein Brothers for bagels and then on to Deanna Rose.  The girls had a great time.  And it feels wonderful to be able to get out on bikes - all six of us!  Mind you, we get quite a few stares.  (I think we may resemble a circus act.)  But it was totally worth it.

Here are the girls at bagels.

These were all shot at Deanna Rose.  Love that place.

8.  I started to refinish my mid-century dresser.  It really wasn't terribly difficult to sand all the drawers.  They are now waiting in the garage for their first coat of stain.  I can't wait.  I think they are going to look terrific when I'm done.  Of course I'll post it on here!

9.  Today was #1's last soccer game.  It was a beautiful morning for a soccer game.  If only her team would have come out victorious.

10.  I've mentioned it before, but #4 is finally talking.  She's still a little hard to understand, but we get most of it.  For example, she has to have her to bunny when she takes a nap or goes to bed.  She always asks for her "wunny".  She adores her flip-flops and always tells us "ee-dops" when she puts them on. (Her sisters had to translate that one for me!)  She calls each of them by name, but of course none of them sound completely accurate.  I don't care.  I just love how much she is talking!

And there you have it.  I gave you 10 on Sunday to make up for my lackluster posting last week.  Have a good one! 

 

 

 

 

Thrifty Thursday...a festive red, white, and blue banner

Howdy!  First of all - for all my regular readers out there (hi Dad! - sorry I missed my Six on Sunday post. What can I say?  Life, a sick two year old, and relaxation got in the way.  I promise I'll make up for it in my next Six on Sunday post.  How's that?

I thought this post was timely because it comes just after the Memorial Day holiday and before the 4th of July.  I absolutely love decorating with an "American" theme.  Red, white, and blue are so festive and fun! This is what I came up with...

This is a super simply string of flags.  I made it a couple years ago, but forgot about it until I saw when I cleaned up our storage room in the basement.  

You certainly don't have to have a sewing machine for this project and your kids can easily help!  First, you have to find your fabric for the triangles.  I used all leftover fabric.  However, you could easily go to Goodwill and pick up a few shirts that have these colors in them.  Mens shirts are great for the blue and white colors.  And red isn't hard to find, either!

The next step is find the coordinating ribbon.  I simply used ribbon I had saved from Pottery Barn packaging, leftover double biased tape, and whatever scrapbook ribbon I had that matched.  Mine didn't have any rhyme or reason to it and I like it that way - it doesn't look like I tried too hard.

Since I was lazy and didn't want to drag out my sewing machine, I simply glued the flags onto the ribbon. I used fabric glue from JoAnn's and it worked perfectly.  But honestly, it would have probably been just as easy (and less messy) to use the sewing machine.

The first year I made these, I swagged them over the curtains in my family room.  But this year I thought they'd look fun in the foyer.  Plus, I love my new light fixture and this draws a little more attention to it! Rock on. 

(Yes, I totally could have ironed these.  I didn't.  Such is life.)

So there you have it.  A totally easy and thrifty project.  I remember my kids helped me with this and they were a lot younger back then.  This is a perfect project to do on those long summer days.  Have fun!

 

Six on Sunday

1.  This was a great weekend.  The weather was beautiful and soccer games were NOT plentiful.  We only had one soccer game and one volleyball game.  That's just awesome.

2.  We took full advantage of the weather and the light schedule and visited the Pumpkin Patch yesterday.  It's a tradition that we always go with my sister and her family.  The two three year olds are so darn cute together.  Her son is about 7 months younger than #3.  They are seriously two peas in a pod. And the other kids all love to go, too.  It truly is rare to find something that all six kids like to do.  So we embrace this opportunity.

3.  I started working on the Medusa costume.  While I'd love to say, "Oh, it was so easy.  I really enjoyed working on it.  Blah, blah, blah."  That would be a lie.  A big one.  Because let me tell you, it sucks.  ROYALLY.  The fabric is slippery and the pattern is hard.  (It probably is very basic, but I only sew once a year.)  And, it's an adult XS.  #1 is a big kid, but not that big.  So now I have to start to fit it.  I seriously feel like I'm on Project Runway and #1 is my client.  I just hope my client ends up pleased!

4.  Today we made cake pops for the Halloween party.  They are super, duper yummy but a bit of a pain in the you-know-what to make!  What I won't do for my kids?!

5.  I have a session coming up and wanted to scout out the location.  So I seized the moment and loaded up the gas guzzler and headed to Iron Woods park with the fam.  This is the first time in YEARS that I've thought about Christmas cards before, say, December 24th!  I am so proud of myself - I hope I don't pull a muscle reaching around to pat myself on the back:)  

I've said it before and I'll say it again - photographing my own kids is ten times harder than any one year old out there!  So I just took a really laid back approach and tried lots and lots of things.  Some worked.  Some didn't.  You can judge for yourself.  But so as not to spoil it, I am not including the best of the best.  I am saving those for my cards - which shall arrive before January!

 

Oh man, do I love this shot.  It absolutely CRACKS ME UP!  I might just have to blow it up big for my house.  This is so them right now.  

6.  I am including a list of our favorite books tonight because we were hanging out with our neighbors (Hi, Dorothy!) when #3 started quoting the first book listed below.  I thought everyone knew about all the same books but it turns out that is not the case.  Therefore, I am listing a few of our favorite books that make the regular rotation.  They are as follows:

• Catalina Magdalena... by Tedd Arnold
• Parts by Tedd Arnold
• Hoodwinked by Arthur Howard (a perfect Halloween book!)
• I'm Gonna Like Me by Jamie Lee Curtis (We pretty much like most of her books)
• Ducks Don't Wear Socks by John Nedwidek
• Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
• Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor (particularly the very first book in the series)

Well, that's it, folks.  Time to go down and begin working on that d@mn costume.  Again.  Wish me luck!

Six on Monday; June Edition

1.  I didn't post last night because the three oldest girls and I went to see Little House on the Prairie the Musical.  Originally, I was only going to take #1 and #2.  However, as I was getting ready and giving #3 a bath, I explained to her that I wasn't going to be home to take her to bed.  I told her I was going to a musical with her older sisters.  She looked right at me and said, "Well then, I'm going to cry."  And she did.  I even told her she could go get ice cream with her dad!  He tried to make her feel better.  We both explained it wasn't a movie, it would be long and boring, and she wouldn't have fun.  She didn't care.  She wanted to come with us!  So, I caved.  Like totally caved.  I went and bought a ticket 15 minutes before we left!

All in all, it was a great night.  #1 has ready every single book ever written by Laura Ingalls Wilder; even the journals she wrote on her trips across the plains.  #1 loved the story and how they melded the books together.  #2 loved that she got to wear her new hat and get a funnel cake.  And #3 loved that she got to dance in her seat (just a little) and eat a pretzel and popcorn.

I loved spending time with my girls, enjoying an outdoor musical, and being able to treat them to some snack foods!

2.  My nephew turned 3 today:)  We enjoyed his birthday party Sat. evening at the pool.  It was really nice to hang out, eat subs and watermelon, and just watch the kids play.

3.  #2 had two softball games this weekend.  I'm trying to come up with something nice to say, but MAN, those games are LONG!!  

4.  I've been doing laundry like crazy to get ready to go on vacation.  As in, I think I did over 10 loads this past weekend.  And I still have a couple more loads to go.  

5.  We are going to Ft. Robinson, NE.  (I think I've mentioned it before.)  We are leaving Wed. and driving to Kearney, NE to spend the night.  Of course, we're driving through Lincoln so we can eat at our favorite pizza place from college - Yia Yia's!!  Then we'll finish the rest of our expedition Thurs.  It is ELEVEN HOURS!  So, if you have any hints for one year olds - let me know!  The oldest three will be fine, but my baby - not so much.  She's still too young for movies, so I'm not sure what we'll do.  Probably listen to some crying.  From her AND me!  

6.  I had a newborn session on Sat. afternoon.  She was an absolute angel!  Here is one sneak peek.  I hope to be able to post a few more before we leave on Wed, but I'm not making any promises:) 

 

Six on Sunday ON Sunday

I'm back.  WooHoo!  It's Sunday AND I'm blogging.  I feel such a sense of accomplishment right now.  (Patting my own back - I admit it.)

First of all, Happy Father's Day to all those dads out there!  I hope you had a great day.  We were very laid back.  My hubby cleaned windows.  I have no idea what got into him, but he did a bang-up job.  I can actually see out the little can window in the basement.  I was convinced we had to replace it.  Guess it was just dirty.  Who knew?

Anyway, I am going to dedicate this Sunday's post to my SEVEN year old #2 daughter.  Her birthday was this past Tuesday.  Here she is blowing out the candles on our family cake (#4 was in bed already).

My dearest Lizzie,

In honor of my Six on Sunday series, along with the fact that you are turning seven, I am going to list seven, random things about you right now:

1.  You are drama.  Plain and simple and from as far back as I can remember.  Drama.  

2.  You wear your heart on your sleeve.  You can be fuming mad at me one minute and running up to me with a hug the next minute.  But at least you get over things very quickly.

3.  You are a wonderful sister.  You and your older sister have been dear friends since you turned three.  That summer you were inseparable!  And you are a fantastic big sister to the two "little girls".  Just today you traded your ice cream cone because #3 wanted yours.  

4.  You are very sweet and caring and loving.  You adore your new pet, Easaw - the chinchilla.  And you stick up for Chloe (our Bichon) when we yell at her.

5.  You are smart and have a great sense of humor.  And your humor is very understated.  For example, at school this spring, you politely raised your hand, waited patiently to be called on, and then cracked your joke - all without missing a beat.

6.  You love soccer, aren't sure about softball yet, and think swimming is too hard.  

7.  You are a picky eater.  Plain and simple.  Your three favorite meals include cheese quesadillas and nachos, spaghetti (no meatballs), and cheese pizza.  No wonder you're so skinny.  It's all I can do to fill you up!

And there you have it, my dear girl.  Seven random facts for my new seven year old.  My love for you is indescribable.  You fill that perfect place in my heart for a second daughter and I cannot imagine my life without you.  My wish for you is that the next seven years are as awesome as these first seven.  I love you, Lizzie Coco:)  

Family Fun {Overland Park family and kid's photographer}

I posted one sneak peek on Monday.  Here's a few more...

R3 is up first.

R1 is such an awesome big brother!  

And R2...what can I say?  He is a handful; as in a 3-year-old-busy-can't-slow-down sort of way.  But oh boy, he's adorable.

 

And mom and dad?  Well, if they are like most of us, they don't have enough pictures together of just the two of them.  So I made them do this!

And, the whole fam...

  

      

A Mommy and Me Session {Olathe children's and family photographer}

I posted just two photos from the session I had with my sister and her kids.  But two simply wasn't enough.  There were TONS and TONS!  It was too hard to narrow down.  Be prepared.  Grab a seat and get comfortable.  Here goes...

              

Six on Sunday...errr, I mean Monday

1.  It's not Sunday.  It's Monday.  Oops!

2.  My PCS phone is dying.  It's totally ghetto.  The back cover is missing which means the battery doesn't stay locked in place which means it barely works.  However, I'm waiting for the new Sprint EVO phone.  It's supposed to be super fast and just generally cool.  I need it yesterday, though.

3.  The reason I didn't post last night?  #1 and I had a scrapbook date.  She has been begging me to go to a crop for months.  We were finally able to fit one in yesterday.  But, it was all afternoon from 2 - 8pm.  That means we missed a gorgeous afternoon.  But I was able to spend it with my oldest girl, so it was definitely worth it!

4.  Isn't my niece adorable?  She's going to kindergarten next year.  That means she's OLD!

5.  Here's my nephew.  At not quite three, he basically forced me to run around the park and wait for him to stop moving in order to capture a shot!  

6.  My second daughter had her 7th birthday party last Saturday night.  She had seven friends over to the house and five spent the night.  One top of that, #1 had a friend sleep over, too.  So, we had 8 girls all running around about 11pm.  Ugh.  At about 11:45, after one friend called her parents because #1 accidentally stepped on her, I told Patrick we weren't having any more big sleepovers.  He just laughed at me and said, "Yeah riiiiiight."  He's right.  And in the end, it was worth it.  #2 had a great time:)

That's all I've got tonight.  Have a great week.