Merry Christmas Eve

Hi all! I'm back! So crazy right! I'm just popping in to give you a little update on Christmas life. We have had lots of fun decorating, baking cookies, visiting Santa and family, and prepping for C-Day that the month flew by! It is crazy.

We took little miss back into town to visit Santa. The same one from last year. While we hoped for a good outcome, we even brought the photo of him and her with so she would look at it, we prepared ourselves mentally that she would scream and cry. We went and had lunch first and she had a mini nap on the drive over so she was in a relatively good mood because we let her run off a little energy through the mall on the walk over. Once inside Santa asked that we not show her his face and I just plopped her in his lap. I backed up and started making faces and being silly and we got a huge smile. She even looked at Santa with a big grin and shed not a single tear (the same could not be said for the poor, yet creepy, Easter Bunny.) We were in shock. He said "don't expect that next year," but we thought the same thing about this year. It was totally awesome!

We are getting to have Christmas Eve dinner at our house for the first time ever and D and I are SO EXCITED. We bought some nice dishes and some accessories so I cannot wait to set the table. Tonight is cleaning and making cranberry sauce in preparation, while tomorrow I will be cooking up a storm all day (with my mom's assistance since I have never made a turkey before.) There will be a fire, various liquors and wine, and of course family and opening of our Christmas Eve gift (pajama's.) I cannot wait to spend the first Christmas in our own home. Here is the menu:

Turkey
Cranberry Pear Sauce
Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing (My dear friends recipe)
Sweet Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
and of course Starlight Sugar Twists, Sugar, Scotcharoos and chocolate chip cookies.

I hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends. This is a time for giving, for families, and for love. Merry Merry Christmas!

Love The Kimball's

Oh Hai!

Murray Farms Corn Maze

Well then. It seems like I have fallen off the face of the earth hasn't it? Well I haven't. Life has just completely got in the way and sitting at the slowest computer on the planet doesn't sound like something I am interested in doing these days.

Things have just been a whirlwind these days. The first month of living in our home we were commuting and hour and a half and two hours respectively. Once we started our new jobs things settled down, but our new schedules are a little hectic with both of us working Saturdays, and split days off seem to be having us running a little harried. We try to spend lots of time with Emma on the days we have with her. We have taken her to the Pumpkin patch, she's experienced her first snowfall and are just settling into our home with all the holiday decor up. We are loving life in our new home and just trying to find the balance finding time for everything. It's hard, but we are making it work.

The house is coming together. If you follow me on Instagram (lil_birdie_emma0701) then you will get a weekly, sometimes daily update of what life looks like around these parts. I am going to try and get a weekly post up over here. That way your all not missing out on things over here, but still can get a taste into our lives. Lil miss is transitioning into a one nap lady, and it tends to be pretty short so getting in a post while she sleeps will be hard. Lol.

Were slowly decorating and fixing little issues around the house, It's a good thing I work in a home improvement store.....and get a discount. My goodness there's lots of things you need when you own a home! We bought an island and a credenza for our kitchen, some shelving and a new rug. We still need to figure out how to make the office/guest room function as an office/guest room before my step mom makes the trip in March. I have ideas so I hope they work out and I hope to do a post when its finished.

New credenza and shelving for the dining room

Were hosting Christmas eve with my parents this year so I am off to research new and easy recipes to make for that. The hubby requested turkey.....so I guess I will me making my first ever Turkey. Wish me luck! Well I think that's all I can think of for this ramble post. Here's a couple of photos!

My beauty watching the bubbles!

His happy place.

Our first snowfall!

The Kitchen Island

Two posts in two days! Ya'll I'm feeling a little crazy over here! Hehe. Yesterday I posted the home improvement list and I wanted to take the time to share a couple of little things that we have already done to improve on our living space! We bought a mobile island and the handy hubby put it together! I'm kinda really excited to finally have an island. Having a functional work space in your kitchen is crucial to cooking effectively. If you have ever lived in apartments, you know that they are never effective use of space. In our last apartment the kitchen was coupled with the laundry room, so our hamper was constantly in the way of either the fridge or the the pantry. It was so frustrating. Having an open concept kitchen is nice, but we needed something to be able to make it function better and also more storage space.

Initially I wanted this island (this post is not sponsored by Wayfair) because of the closed cabinet storage and the knife rack in the island. But when I went to order it, the price went up about $60. Boo, of course the price is back down now. So I went perusing and I found the one we actually purchased. It has open storage in the middle so we can't put anything breakable in there because of small fingers, but I thought that it looked very similar to our existing cabinets and the hardware, even though its similar, can be changed out to match. I also like the look of the "butcher block" counter top. I'm considering tying that color wood with these shelves from Ikea on the dining room wall.

Please excuse the mess! Where still moving. Baxton Studio Meryland Modern Kitchen Cart from Wayfair.

Another thing we took on was replacing the lighting in the kitchen. The can lights are new, but I just couldn't understand why when they were on why it felt so HOT in there. Last weekend the hubby pulled a bulb out to see and low and behold Halogen bulbs. No wonder. Halogen bulbs are more cost effective than incandescent but they are twice as hot! UGH! Off to the home improvement store we went to buy some LED bulbs for our cans. Of course they only had one in a Par 30 size so we went with compact fluorescent instead. Then I had the discussion with the hubby about color temperatures. All the existing bulbs in the house are a soft warm light....similar to an incandescent bulb. I hate that pink glow that it casts so I asked him which kind of light he preferred. Soft warm, or a daylight. The smart man chose daylight, I knew I married him for his brains, and off we went with new 5000K CFL bulbs. I don't have a great comparison shot but here's a photo when we bought the house:

See the pink cast that is all over the cabinets and floor? Warm (2700K) bulbs. And I mean warm in both the literal and visual sense. When we installed the new bulbs, it was instantly cooler and just felt better.

Problem is now, that PINK paint! That's next on the to do list! What little home improvements can you all suggest for a big impact?

The Inevitable House List

With an older home comes an inevitable list of improvements that need to be done. I know I went over things that needed to be done in our last post, but the hubby keeps adding things to do, so I figured I would put together a list that we could add to and I could reference back and link up if I actually do a DIY or room tour post! So here's what were thinking, and remember that this is a dream list also:

Front Exterior/Entry:

• Replace Front Door
• Replace Door Handle & add deadbolt
• Replace Exterior lighting
• Add a flagpole
• Update planters and walkway 

Dining Room:

• Re-paint walls
• Replace light bulbs in ceiling fan and entry light
• New sideboard
• New rug
• Update blinds
• Provide storage for entry

Kitchen:

• Re-paint walls
• Update backspash
• Add shelf over window
• New window curtains/valance 
• Remove French doors and move into the play room, frame out opening
• Update glides on cabinet drawers
• Hook up waterline to refrigerator
• Build mobile island 
• Remove existing phone jack and patch
• Update lighting/bulbs (existing are halogen and its ridiculously hot)

Playroom:

• Re-paint walls
• Update slider/add French doors
• Update window
• Update lighting and add additional lighting
• Provide new storage cabinets
• Update sprinkler system pad

Living Room:

• Re-paint walls
• Add down lights
• Check wood burning stove for functionality
• Add Built-in storage
• Add wainscot or picture rail
• Add blinds to slider
• Possibly convert slider to French doors

Emma's/Guest Bath:

• Re-Paint walls
• Update exhaust fan
• Re-paint cabinet
• Replace medicine cabinet
• Install new toilet paper holder
• Update glides on cabinet drawers

Office/Guest Bedroom:

• Re-paint walls
• New desk layout
• New Twin bed with storage

Emma's Room:

• Re-paint walls
• Finish decorating
• Add another hanging rail and more closet organization

Master Bedroom:

• Re-Paint walls
• Re-organize closet storage
• Add additional down lights
• Possibly convert slider to French doors

Master Bath:

• Re-paint walls
• Re-do closet storage
• Update glides on cabinet drawers
• Replace medicine cabinet
• Replace pocket door, new hardware
• Install towel rod and toilet paper holder
• Install shelving in toilet room
• Replace window

Backyard (The big dream):

• Re-do planters
• Level ground
• Seed for grass
• Re-paint decking
• Create pergola's over all exterior doors
• Add overhead hanging bulb lights
• Built in BBQ
• Swingset
• Dog house
• Sand and refinish existing benches

This is the dream list. By no means do we think that all this will happen, but I forsee the DIY stuff coming along nicely. But first, finish unpacking!

We took a little break!

Hi all! It's been a little while since I've updated the blog and there's been lots of good reasons! No I'm not preggers. We had a whirlwind July and August and really I have just been trying to work through it all. The hubby lost two family members between Father's Day and 4th of July so we had grief and funerals to deal with. It was rough and trying to stay positive was all I could do for him. Losing family is always hard, especially when they are so young.

Right in the middle of all of this we had some happy news! We bought a home! It's been so surreal and I feel like we are now #adulting! It's so silly. We have a baby and have lived on our own for 8 years and have been married for 8 years, but until you sock in cold hard cash on a piece of land and a little property you don't really feel like an adult! We are so excited for our little 3 bed, 2 bath on a 1/4 acre! Land in CA is sparse so when you have a decent amount for your kiddos and pets you scream and jump for joy!

Do I have some plans. Mostly for the landscaping! (Please excuse the photo's a lot are from the listing)

The front yard had sod recently laid and in the main photo it looks bad, however it has greened up nicely. The rock garden next to the bridge needs to be cleaned out and re-established because its pretty over grown. The planter next to the house needs ground cover because its mostly just a dirt pile that washes into the front doorway. The trees along the roof line were trimmed because the roof needed a little repair, so that was already done! Yay!

In the backyard.....oy! It needs help. We have beautiful pine trees and they give lots of shade, but they also have left lots of droppings in the yard and over the deck. First off is sweeping and clearing out of oddities, IE the random fire hydrant, pole for nothing, parking curb in the yard. The gate needs repair because our pooch already figured out how to escape the yard. Sigh. Next up, see the large rock pile in the 3rd photo? That's going to be our new flowerbed liners along the back retaining wall. Leveling of the yard and grass seed. Cleaning out existing planters and sanding and painting the benches is on the list also. We also see a swing and maybe built in bbq later. Dreams.

The main living area has been updated. New paint and carpet. I will definitely be re-painting! It's so pink with grey carpet! WHAT!?! The wood trim around the fireplace will be removed and a large mantle will replace it. Maybe some wainscoting. Maybe a built in? We shall see what the future holds.

Kitchen and dining. The owner replaced the counters, fixtures and lighting so for right now all that we are doing in here is the backsplash and of course painting out the pink. The backsplash doesn't match AT ALL! They also cut into the existing beadboard so that may have to be replaced. We shall see. We are also planning to put a decor shelf over the sink in the kitchen and some drapes.

Master and guest bath. They were updated finish wise, but we need to replace the exhaust fans and I plan on tiling behind the mirror in the master and putting a framed one up in its place.

And finally this room off the kitchen is going to be so fun! This is Emma's future play room! I already have plans to make it a vintage inspired kids room because of all the things she has that are new, but vintage inspired but don't fit the theme of her bedroom.

There she is. What has been occupying our minds and time for the last 6 weeks. I'll do another post on packing and moving with a toddler because UGH! It was interesting! Happy Tuesday!

Watch Emma Grow - Month Twelve

Hi all.....sorry this is SO late. The month of July has just been absolutely crazy! That doesn't mean that I shouldn't round out Emma's first year with the last update. Can I just say that I cannot believe what an amazing year this has been. It is bittersweet to watch my baby turn into a toddler, but she becomes more and more fun with each passing day. Her beautiful smile, her laugh, her tiny voice....I fall more in love everyday!

She's become very inquisitive and loves looking into cabinets and pulling things out of them. Particularly the linen and tupperware cabinets. Those are the most fun. She also loves to pull the books and toys off her bookcase and spread them all over her room. Anything that has items in it, she has to pull the items out completely. It's pretty funny, but she leaves a mess in her wake! Lol.

She got really good at standing, so much so that she took her first official steps the day of her birthday party. Daddy and I were so excited, and now she barely crawls. We walk EVERYWHERE. She wants to do everything herself and gets upset when you try to do it for her. A very strong willed and independent child.

She loved helping with all the planning for her birthday and wanted to play with the firecrackers every chance she could. She tries to wave and loves giving open mouthed kisses, and I love getting them! Drooly drooly. We have a total of 10 teeth....man those molar are a buggar! I feel so bad when I know she's teething because I know she's uncomfortable. She's a snuggle bunny when she doesn't feel well and that's the only time. Other than that she is super busy busy. Always doing something.

She's a great eater and loves trying new things. We learned a few months back that we cannot put any type of fruit in front of her if we actually want her to eat her food. She will demolish the fruit and leave everything else. She still likes her veggies, but bring on the berries and the melons and she's all about it. She also loves melted cheeses (quesadillas, grilled cheese, mac n cheese, pizza) and pasta. She must be my daughter! She's not a big meat eater though. I try to get her to take a couple of bites before I let her move onto other things.

Sleep has been better, unless she's teething. Most nights we get a big chunk from 10pm to 3-4am. Then it's up and down for the remainder of the night. What will I do with myself when I sleep a full 8 hour chunk?! Be over-tired probably. My body is used to the broken sleep now! Hehe.

She's our whole world and I couldn't imagine my life without her! My precious girl who fills my heart with such joy. I love my lil birdie!

12 Month Well Check Stats
Weight: 18 lbs 15 oz (30%)
Height: 29.5" (62%)
Head: 18.5" (93%)

9 Month Well Check Stats:
Weight: 17 lbs 3 ozs (30%)
Height: 27" (24%)
Head: 17.5" (60%)


Milestones to date:
Bringing her home: July 2nd (1 day old)
First Bath: July 4th (3 days old)
First Holiday: Independence Day (3 days old)
Held Up Head: July 11th (1 week old)
Lost Belly Button: (8 days old) First Walk (2 weeks old)
First Smile: July 27th (3 weeks old)
First Trip: Lake Tahoe/Carson City (5 weeks old)
Found her hands: (6 weeks old)
First Swim: (6 Weeks old)
Laughed Out Loud: Sept 25th (12 Weeks Old)
Rolled Over: October 28th (3 Months Old)
Found Her Feet: November 2nd (4 Months Old)
First Teeth: December 3rd (5 Months Old)
Crawled: (Army: January 16th - 6 mo; Normal: March 17th - 8 mo)
Sat on her own: January 7th (6 Months Old)
Ate Solid Foods: January 7th (6 Months Old)
First Vacation: Florida March 9th (8 Months Old)
Stood on her own: March 8th (8 Months Old)
First Steps: June 28 (11 Months Old)

And for the monthly photo dump!

Daddy, where's the credit cards?

Makeshift highchair

First Birthday banner!

Happy Father's Day Daddy!

Walks with the family!

Our big 1 year old!

Urban Outfitters "In The Bag" Sale

Hi! I know I was supposed to share Emma's 12 month update, and I am still within her birth month so I have time! Not much time, but I do! It's been a crazy month and I will update you all when I can with all the craziness!

So I am always on the lookout for a great sale. I love shopping and perusing home good items #interiordesignproblems but I never pull the trigger and order things. I was alerted to the Urban Outfitters "In the bag" sale and I had to peruse, because up to 70% off is always intriguing. Of course some of the items I loved were already sold out! Check out the sale and here are some of my favs!

Ladder Storage Basket $69 now $49

Magical Thinking Geo Medallion Pillow $34 now $29

 Three Potato Four Wooden Wall Art $34 now $9.99!!!!! (Thinking I need this!)

Home Modern Media Center $629 now $299.99
For the love of all mid century modern! I wish I had a place to put this! LOVE IT!

Industrial Caged Organizer $79 now $59

Locust Copper Pendant $98 now $59.99 (wheels are spinning)

Plum and Bow Curved Lines Table Lamp $129 now $74.99

Still loving my teal!

Mid Century Vanity $349 now $159.99 (!!!!!!!)

Locus Monogram Hook $10ea now 2 for $15

Can I redesign my entire apartment now? This post isn't sponsored. I just wanted to share some awesome finds that are on SALE!

Making Dinnertime Easier

Since having a baby we have strived to bring more fresh fruits and veggies into our home. Yes purees and jarred baby foods all have their place, but Emma prefers fresh fruits and veggies as opposed to processed baby food. She also loves to feed herself so this requires chopping up of various items into sizes small enough for little fingers to grab.

I've always been used to dealing with dull knives. It didn't bother me to badly until I started putting them in the dishwasher and that made them even duller. After vowing to never do that again with our new knife set, I was irritated to find that my knives were still pretty dull after not much use. Come to find out the straight bar that comes with most knife sets is not a sharpener as the hubby and I thought. Cutting grapes, tomatoes, peaches, bell peppers....anything with a peal was proving difficult and irritating to cut into little pieces for our baby girl. We both decided that we needed a knife sharpener.

Enter the System Sharpener. We sharpened our large knife first to test out slicing meats....another issue in our home. It has two wheels, a diamond grinding wheel for professional sharpening and a ceramic wheel for fine honing. A little pressure to glide the knife through each side and voila, a perfectly even sharp knife! It even has a suction cup on the bottom so it will stay secured to your counter top! Seriously I was excited. I needed to try out my new knives with a recipe that required a lot of chopping. I chose my Tri Colored Rotini Pasta recipe because of all the veggies I needed.

Everything sliced like a dream and in a fraction of the time. Also I didn't squash my tomatoes! Hallelujah! I can't wait to start creating masterpieces with fruits and veggies so my family can eat pretty chopped foods!

This shop was compensated for this post by receiving a free knife sharpener, all opinions are my own.
#KnifeSharpenerSystem