5 kids in 1 room.

we do not live in a large home.

it fits us and our needs (although, i always think we could use more room) but by in by, compared to most, we live in a small space...especially considering the amount of children we have.

about a month ago, i had a light bulb moment.

as we were trying to figure out where the new babe was going to go (kohen was already in our room, due to lack of space) we realized we were going to have to get rid of furniture, to make it work for kohen to move into the boys room.

blah.

i like their furniture, not to mention it houses so many of the boys "trinkets" that they so lovingly adore.

(i would throw most of those trinkets away if it were up to me---if they don't have a desk/bookshelf, then those trinkets end up on the floor---so, the furniture needed to stay).

so, my light bulb moment?

move all of the kids into the ridiculously HUGE master bedroom that mr. anderson and i shared with kohen.

this bedroom is huge.

like, half the size of our house.

it just didn't make sense for us to occupy that huge space, when we were lacking space in other areas.

so, we enlisted some help and got the rooms all switched around.

i'm going to begin with a picture of what the room looks like on a normal day...messy and cluttered.

although, this isn't even a good representation of it...it's normally much more messy.

here is what it looks like when i've treated my children like slaves helpers and made them clean it all up.

vacuumed and everything.

this is the first view, when you walk into the room.

caedmon and milo share the bunk bed to the left.

bathroom is straight ahead.

and standing from the boys bunk beds, looking across the room, this is what you see.

kohen in the crib.

hadley and elsa share the bunk beds in the back.

and standing from the bathroom/window area, this is what you see.

closet, straight ahead.

i've just recently got hadley and elsa's side of the room decorated.

still working on the boys side.

by far my favorite part of the room is the master closet.

rather than going to 3 different closets to put away clothes before, now i go to 1 closet.

1 closet people.

it's marvelous.  all their clothes are in here now.

seriously, this has made my day.

you can't see, but there is another 2 clothes racks on the right hand side.

this closet is so big that we could have put one of the kids in here, and had that be their bedroom.

no joke.



i know some of you might be thinking "how in the world do you get 5 kids to share a room?"

well, they were used to sharing prior to this.

the girls were in 1 room, and the boys were in the other.

i was worried about kohen not cooperating when it came to bedtime, but we have done a good job at sticking to a bedtime routine, and it seems to be working.

in a perfect world, this is what our routine looks like:

jammies and brushing teeth start happening at 7:30.

then we do a book, bible story and then pray.

around 8:00, the kids go to their beds and we turn on an adventures in odyssey CD...it's basically a christian radio program that teaches kids lessons and values.  the kids love them.

kohen goes to his crib at this time too.  (most of the time, he fights it, but after a few minutes, he gives in)

everyone looks at books in their beds (or plays quietly) while they listen to odyssey.

once it's over, then the lights go out, but caedmon can have 15 extra minutes with his book light to read.  (one advantage of being the oldest)

that is the schedule we try to stick too.

it doesn't always happen.

sometimes kids are yelling...crying...not staying in their beds...sometimes i'm yelling...

we're normal.

oh, and to help with the fighting over whose turn it is to pick a book, etc., i made this:

the clothespins get moved over one spot everyday.  this has been a MAJOR help in the fighting department.

so again, let me say that we are not perfect...this routine and room set up works for us...the andersons.

it might not work for you.

and sticking to the routine takes work, but i think will save us stress in the long run.  (there is a light at the end of the tunnel, right?)

any questions about the room?

ask away in the comments and i'll respond there too!

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alright friends...it's wednesday.

i'm feeling crafty, but instead i will probably just eat something.

maybe i'll make this?  tasty!

happy wednesday people.

oh hi waffles. yes please i'll eat 28 of you.

i have the most delish waffle recipe ever for you today.

i wish i could take credit for it, but alas, my good friend kelly is the lady behind it.

she made these for a girls night we had a few months ago (prior to me being sick)...and i swear i ate 12 in one sitting.

complete with whip cream, strawberries, chocolate chips, etc.

they are so good.

{waffles}

{toppings}

{hadley and her work of art}

here's the recipe:

2/3 C flour (i used whole wheat)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 T sugar

3 eggs, separated

1 1/2 C milk

1/2 C & 1 T oil (i use coconut oil)

mix dry ingredients together in a big bowl. 

beat egg whites until stiff (don't allow any of the yolks to mix in or the whites won't stiffen). 

add egg yolks, milk and oil to the dry ingredients.  mix thoroughly.  (i actually used a blender for this part, because when you use coconut oil, it conforms to whatever temperature it's at.  the milk was cold and therefore made the oil chunk up.  the blender took care of this).

gently fold in egg whites into batter (do this with a spatula, and if you mix/whip it together the waffles will end up flat in the end).

pour batter onto preheated waffle maker (if you don't have a waffle maker, you can always do what mr. anderson did and wake up on black friday at 3 in the mornin' to get a good deal on one...cause you know, having a waffle maker is that important.)

so, i DOUBLED this recipe for my family of 7.  and in reality, i probably should have tripled it.

the kids topped theirs off with chips and leftover chipotle cause they were still hungry.

nothing like waffles then chipotle.

{mamas' waffle.  delish}

and if you eat 12 of them like me, your belly might end up looking like this:

{please note, fingerprints all over my mirror.  evidence of little people}

happy waffle eatin'.

thank you planner, for making my life glorious.

lately, my butt has really been kicked into organization gear.

i really do love it---and i seem to have a system for everything these days.

i kept having this overwhelming thought of "6 kids...6 kids...6 kids" and i would feel totally unorganized.

y'all know i color coded my kids...brilliant, yes i know.

well, my latest system love is my planner.

last year, i bought just a cute binder at target and some planner sheets that came separately.

they did the job, but i never felt like i had enough room, etc.

after looking and looking and looking around for a planner that would fit my needs, i finally just gave in and created something in photoshop.

i didn't need a lot...just a BIG space for everyday, so that i could write nicely and clearly for each kid and anything they had going on that day...not to mention mr. anderson and i.

{my binder...next time i might get a trapper keeper.  what?  do they still sell those?}

my daily planner i write in.

it's perfect...i seriously love all the room i have to write.

i get this excited feeling when there is something new to write in it...is that weird?

i'm sure it is but whatev.  just let me be OCD.

and the best part?

i found these awesome pens that have all my kids colors...so, each kid's "stuff" for the day is written in their color.

hallelujah, organization to the MAX, thank you jesus.

so, being the nice person i am, i have these sheets available for you to download if you'd like.

you should (and i say should because i've never done this before) be able to click on the pictures below and they will pop up bigger in a new window.

then you can right click and save that picture and then open it up in a new document (microsoft, or whatev).

then print it.

fingers crossed that works for you---if not, don't leave me any hate mail.

a few things:

-i printed mine on white cardstock so that i could use color pens and it wouldn't bleed through-

-i printed front and back-

my notebook not only stashes away my planner but it's basically our anderson family book.

it has blog info in it...meal plans...grocery lists...school info...etc.

basically, if i ever lost this little book i might crawl into a ball and die.

shudder.

enjoy the downloads---and if they don't work, i'll try to fix it up later this afternoon.

thanks to pugly pixel for the free flower download that i used on the planner sheet.

*******************************************************************************

oh, and if you are just here to find out if you won the amazing give-a-way or not, then here ya go:

Perpetual Blind Date said...

I would cry - bawl if i actually won :) - sarah

well sarah, get out your kleenex cause it's all you girl.

email me and we'll hook you up with your goods!

thanks again to my fabulous sponsors, and if you'd like to be a part of that group then shoot me an email!

happy friday y'all!

embrace the camera: august 25th

embracing with 2 little ones today...the babe in my belly and the babe in my lap.



so, are you ready to embrace the camera?

here's the nitty gritty:

1.  take a picture with you and your kids/spouse/family member/friend/whatever.

2.  blog about that picture and include a link to our blog, or grab our button.

3.  link your blog post up on the link tool below.

4.  visit the other embracers...give each other lots of compliments about how good we look with our greasy hair and sweatpants velour jogging suits on.  cause yah, we need a little boost when it's been days since our last shower.

5.  have fun!

sponsor give-a-way day: august

yah for sponsor give-a-way day!  here at the anderson crew, we LOVE our sponsors...they are so kind and generous and sweet...the list goes on :)

if you're interested in sponsoring us in september we have openings and we'd love to have you!

view all of our rates here and contact me.

first up is holly from bCharmed:

Hi my name is Holly.  I am so excited to be part of bCharmed!  This is a brand new line of customizable jewelry.  We offer many different pieces, great for any occasion in your life.  Be sure and check out the catalog on my stylist site and then email me to host an online party.  You will LOVE all of their jewelry and you can earn tons of it for FREE when you host a party!

(how gorgeous is that necklace?!)

If you would like to join my team and start selling bCharmed now is the time!  This is a ground floor opportunity and I would love to chat with you about all of the great benefits bCharmed has to offer! Be the first one in your area to join the team!

As a bonus for all of Emily's readers, if you book a party in the month of September, I will sweeten the deal and not only will you get the generous hostess benefits, but you will also get any bCharmed piece of jewelry for FREE!  Just send me an email or give me a call to get it set up!

holly is generously offering a $20 shop credit, good towards any bCharmed item!

visit holly's page here, shop the bCharmed catalog here and be sure to let her know if you want to host an online party!

(for an extra entry for this give-a-way, book an online party with holly and leave me an extra comment)

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up next is KK from small town lovin (our featured sponsor this month).

Hello! I'm KK from Small Town Lovin.  Aside from juggling my 3 little girls all under 4, I love to blog, design and document our life with photography.

KK also makes sweet and simple blog headers:

KK will be giving away a custom designed blog header!

be sure to stop by her blog---where life is simple and sweet :)

(for an extra entry for this give-a-way, become a follower on KK's blog and leave me an extra comment letting me know you did so)

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up next is sweet karen from A Perfect Treasure:

A perfect treasure creates sweet gear for babies and big girls using soft, minky fabric.  All the appliques are carefully hand stitched.

Anderson Crew readers enjoy 10% off with code "emily10" at checkout.

karen is kindly offering a onesie or tee of choice (up to a $28.00 value)!

thanks karen!

please be sure to stop by her blog, etsy shop and facebook page.

(for an extra entry for this give-a-way, like karen's facebook page and leave me an extra comment letting me know you did so)

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this next fine lady is a good intranet friend of mine---please welcome ashley from under the sycamore:

Ashley's days consist of a lot of Legos and lots of seemingly mundane moments.  As mom to four kids (boys 3, 5, 7 and a 2 year old daughter) she finds the most beauty in those ordinary moments and relishes the adventure of parenthood with her husband, Chris.  Aside from an addiction to painting everything that doesn't move, she is enjoys helping others understand their cameras in order to capture the marvelous in the mundane.  Ashley chronicles her adventures as a mom, crafter, photographer and advocate on her blog, Under the Sycamore.

ashley also runs an online photography class called SnapShops: 

SnapShop is an self-paced, online 3 week intro to photography course for those with dslr cameras.  SnapShop is for the beginner wanting to learn the basics of photography and how to capture the beauty of daily life.

she is giving away access to the September SnapShop for one person ($200.00 value), September 5th-26th.

check even more info out about SnapShop here.

thanks ashley!

be sure to check out her blog for daily inspiration.

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our newest sponsor this month is liz eaton custom jewelry:

 My name is Liz Eaton, I am a mother to 3 little boys, 3 and under. I am a wife to my best friend, David. I love making jewelry, but especially custom handmade silver jewelry.  I love anything artsy or crafty & me & my boys spend most of our day in our home studio playing & making stuff.  I wouldn't change a thing.  Please visit my blog to hear more about our family & studio life, or visit my shop to find some custom handmade jewelry.

liz will be giving away this thin heart ring:



thanks so much liz!

be sure to stop by her blog and her shop.

(for an extra entry for this give-a-way, visit her shop and leave me an extra comment letting me know what your favorite item is)

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last but not least is brit from the blog, mike and brit:

i am from texas.

he is from canada.

we married in the summer of 2010.

we live in the ottawa valley. (that's in canada!)

we love the bible.

we love old things and taking pictures and collecting records and the beatles.

we love the reformers and the puritans and our church and our cat.

our blog is where we (i, britney) post about things we do and things we love.

and this is a little give-away of some things i especially love!!!



brit is giving away a few of her favorite things!

1. a flower garland

2. vintage pillow case

3. journal

4. a lovely read

5. 2 instax mini photos

6. vintage floral prints

7. karma solid perfume from lush

thanks brit---that's so fun!

be sure to check out her blog, you'll be glad you did.

(for an extra entry for this give-a-way, become a follower on mike and brit's blog and leave me an extra comment letting me know you did so)

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okay, so there you go!

1 lucky winner will win ALL of the items.

all you have to do is leave me a comment on this post.

you can have up to 5 extra entries by following the extra entry rules under each give-a-way, up above.

give-a-way winner will be drawn and posted friday (8/25) morning.

good luck friends!

first day of school, unicorns and teeth falling out.

it's time for the obligatory post of pictures of my kids entering their first day of school.

i know, i know.

boring to everyone in the world BUT grandparents.

if it helps, i have a story to go along with the pictures.  hang tight.

{hadley doing her "holla, i'm going to kindergarten and i'm sassy about it" pose}

i like to label their "first day of school" photo every year.

makes it easy when i'm trying to figure out what grade they were starting.

and with 6 kids i need all the easy i can get.

i also remember to snap a picture on the LAST day of school and i label that as well.

it's fun to see how much they grow.

{just a random fact}

so, the morning started out much like any other school morning...me rushing around telling everyone to "hurry the heck up" because we were NOT going to be late on the first day of school.

hadley, being the lovely procrastinator that she is, had to be told about 15 times to eat and get dressed.

i've got to think of some sort of system with that girl so that she can remember to get OUT of her own little world and to jump back into ours and remember what she's doing.

(no kidding, i tell her to go brush her teeth and 15 minutes later i notice she's not done---when i go to check on her she's having a conversation with herself in the mirror.  only, she is a princess in a far away land and the evil step-mother is making her brush her teeth but if she brushes her teeth then the unicorns won't come to take her away from the evil-ness.  seriously, this girl really does things like this.)

{hadley---with teeth brushed---walking into school}

so, continuing on with our story...

as caedmon is coming out to the breakfast table, he informs me that his tooth is "hanging by a thread".

"go pull it out", i tell him.

caedmon proceeds to throw drama all over the place "i can't pull it out---it will bleed EVERYWHERE...why in the world does this have to happen to me on the first day of schoooooool?!"

drama i tell ya.  drama.

{caedmon, made it to school...but did the tooth make it?}



he continues to whine about it for 15 minutes...

i'm seriously angry now because he hasn't accomplished anything but making me mad.

FINALLY, his dang tooth comes out.

praise jesus...not just for the tooth coming out but the fact that i don't have to hear him whining about it anymore.

but then the drama gets worse as all the kids are freaking out about the tooth being gone and there being a little bit of blood.

oy.

now i'm the one thinking "seriously?  on the first day of schoooool?  why?"

we get out the door with time to spare...how the h-e-double hockey sticks this happened i shall never know but we made it.

and once we reached school i overheard caedmon telling his buddies about his tooth.

his exact words were "my tooth came out this morning and there was blood SQUIRTING everywhere!"

one of his spiritual gifts is exaggerating every story he tells.

wonder where he gets that from.

my baby who is not so much a baby anymore.

it's just time for a kohen fix, mkay?

any objections?

then let's proceed.

apparently he's taking some tips from milo in the awesome smile department:

:sigh:

i just love him.

the bigs start school tomorrow...and the middles start school in 2 weeks, which means it's gonna be just me and this little dude for a while (at least until baby #6 makes it's debut).

whatever shall kohen and i do all by ourselves?

i can tell you one thing that it will for sure involve lots of eating.

he is a little man after my own heart and loves to munch on anything and everything yummy.

you might catch us spooning on the couch, eating donuts together.

we shall get along just fine.