Three Happies

1. ORGANIZATION! A Target sale tempted me into doing our February home improvement a week early (we have budgeted in one home improvement per month). All we did was put a cube shelf in our family room. But oh, that thing is ahh-mazing. We can hide all of the toys in the bins and the room looks so deliciously organized.

You’re probably wondering what the big deal is, but I get DEEP satisfaction from a well-organized room. Every time I look at that corner, I feel happy!

ALL of these toys can be tucked away so neatly! We only clean up once a day—right before the kids’ bedtime, so allllll day I endure (and sometimes enjoy) the room in its cluttered, toy-crusted state. 12 hours of that mess makes the 3 hours of evening cleanliness I get between the kids’ bedtime and my bedtime so much sweeter.

Add some fresh vacuum stripes to the carpet, and you’ll experience Shaina-nirvana.

The cube shelves only came with enough cardboard pieces to cover the backs of half of the cubes. So I got sneaky and we stapled some brown fabric to the backs of the openings with cords poking out, like a tent flap. It’s a fine line I tread between ghetto and genius.

 

Before and after my sneaky fabric stapling—see how nicely the flaps hide those ugly cords? It is so satisfying.

Ok, enough of my weird gushing over brown fabric and boring ole shelves. But really, it’s the little things, people.

2. DE-MULLETIFICATION! That’s right, I got my mullet removed today. It sounds so surgical when I say it like that. Really, it was a quick wash 'n chop. I was in and out of the salon in record time—I came home less than half an hour after I left. Zippy snippy.

SEE the neck?

My hair cutting girl likes to POOF. She can coax more body into my hair than anyone I’ve ever met, my pillow included. I always lose count of the products she rubs, sprays, and pats into my hair. I’d better not light any matches till I’ve washed it all out.

I can’t say that I like the fluff. I’m tall enough without it! Right after these pictures, I quickly wetted it down to tame it a little.

After 26 years of being a girl, I STILL can’t figure out SASSY. Maybe I need some lipstick. Makeup? Something to be sassy about? Probably all of the above. Whatever.

3. LAYNIE!!!!! Today I got to watch my dear little niece Layne for almost five whole hours and she is such a darling little squishy.

I mean, that smile?

Those cheeks!

Her voice!

“Aunt Shaina is camera-happy”

She loves watching her cousins, and they love sharing with her. Today Rose shared her prize pink bunny.

Jay shared his toy screwdriver. When Layne squealed at him, Jay said “Layne, are you speaking baby French?” Jay and Rose hovered around Layne for an impressive amount of time, bringing her toys that she doesn’t know how to grab yet. They love her.

Maybe a little too much love?

Probably.

There are 21 months between Jay and Rose, and 21 months between Rose and Layne. In this picture: Jay—3.75 years old, Rose—2 (minus one week) years old, and Layne—2 months old.

And I thought taking pictures of TWO kids was hard.

Organization, de-mulletification, and Laynie Kay—better than my average January Tuesday.

You know what, the SUN came out for a little while today too. Make that FOUR happies in one day.