Drowning

I'm a mom. I get overwhelmed. I get frustrated. I get stressed. I get cranky. I get tired. I get hopeless.  Sometimes I feel like there are so many things I'm trying to do and keep up with that I feel like I am drowning.  Swimming and swimming without rest and getting more and more exhausted.  We've all been there.  Lots of moms tell me they are in "survival mode" and it's a very real thing.

I've been feeling like this a lot lately.  All I can think about is getting out from under the dishes, laundry, diapers, sweeping, mopping, while I still do my daily mom duties like breakfast, lunch, dinner, kitchen cleaning, booger wiping, diaper changing, owie kissing, potty training, business running, email sending, phone calling, appointment making, and everything else that comes up.

I'm drowning in all of those things so much that I've forgotten to see the blessings in my life.  I've forgotten to enjoy the sound of small children in my house.  I've forgotten to take the time to snuggle with them.  I've forgotten so many things.

Yesterday I made a decision.  It's time to start remembering.  I read a chapter in my scriptures for the first time in a long time last night.  I didn't have a life changing spiritual experience.  I didn't even have an epiphany of any kind.  While I was reading, I noticed that everything Nephi wrote down was praising God and asking for His forgiveness and help in living righteously.

This morning, I stumbled across this picture and it stuck me right in my soul.

 I've been drowning, sinking, and not even thinking to just reach up and take his hand.  I lost my faith and fell.  He's been here the whole time and all I have to do is seek Him and take His hand.

I'm not ashamed to say that I lost faith because it happens.  A lot.  To everyone.  That's why we have a Savior and He will keep forgiving us and reaching for us.

Matthew 14

30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Dressers Facelift

Here's my latest little project.  I have been looking for Dressers for the kids for a while.  I'm cheap, and we don't get to throw our money around like parade candy, so I scoured the yard sale pages for months.  Finally I came across these gems.  A cute couple in the neighborhood with two boys were re- doing the bedroom and getting rid of two matching dressers.  My dream come true!  I love having the girl's things match.  Even though they aren't twins, they share a room and I'm a perfectionist so I want things to match.

Matching dressers for $40!!

I drove maybe 5 mins and got them all loaded into the back of my suburban.  I had originally planned on painting them, but noticed that they had a very glossy finish, which makes re-painting a lot more work and time than I wanted to put into them. 

Even came pre-decorated!

They were very loved

So they sat in the garage for a day or two while I thought about what to do with them.  The girls loved helping put their names in vinyl lettering on their bar stools, so I thought "well, I guess we could go get some super cut stickers and just deck 'em out in princesses and fairies".  On my way out the door, I talked to my BFF and neighbor about my LAME-O plan and she said she loved her daughter's dresser that she covered in fabric.(Similar to the Girly Dresser) http://myhouseinreallife.blogspot.com/2012/12/girly-dresser.html
So I decided to go to the fabric store istead.  

So glad I did...cause the fabric store was having a 50% off sale Woot Woot!  The girls helped pick out their fabrics with plenty of guidance from their Control Freak Interior Designer Mom. ;-)  Then we all went home and started on the process.  Scrubbing.  Lots of scrubbing.

Always have lots of help from the girls

They really put some elbow grease into it

Once the dressers were clean and ready for their makeover, I measured the fabrics and cut them just big enough to wrap the fabric around the face of the drawer. It turned out to be just wider than my finger. I used a cutting board and my rota-cutter, or rota-blade or whatever that thing is.  It was much easier and faster than scissors.  I found it was easier to use one piece as a pattern and cut all of my fabrics first.

So after everything was cut, I took the knobs off and kept them with the screws in a bowl so they would be found later. I needed the fabric to stay put while I stapled it to the drawer, so I mixed regular Elmer's glue and water not quite half and half. I had just a tad more glue than water.  I used a cheap paintbrush to spread it on the face of the drawer and then lined up the fabric on the glue while it was wet.  Smoothed it out and turned it over.

Painting the glue

Ready for fabric!

 Once the fabric was where I wanted it and straight, I laid it face down and smoothed the edges around the drawer and stapled them in place.  I used about two to three staples each side.  The corners took afew different strategies, all depending on which corner, so if you plan on doing something like this, you'll just have to experiment a little.

Stapled ends to back of drawer

 It didn't take too long once the kids were in bed and I could work without interruption.  One drawer at a time.  But I already had an idea of where to put each fabric before I started and that made the process faster, too.  But I'm super happy with how they turned out and the girls love them.  They were pretty excited to rearrange their room to make them look just right.  And of course, I love switching things up, too. So it was a perfect little project for the weekend.

Not exactly the same, but coordinating.

The spectacular thing about them is that the drawers are interchangeable so they can move them around if they want a new pattern.  I just hope when they decide to do that their Mommy will be able to let them.  I'll have to breathe deeply and tell myself it's okay that two florals  or two stripes are right next to each other.