Moran Family Fun

My new binge watching obsession is the Great British Sewing Bee. How did I not know about this show before now? Oh my goodness, I am having so much fun watching the contestants as they work on the sewing challenges each week. It's really cool to see which techniques I already understand and what I still have to learn. I love it when the judges are examing a project and I know before they say anything what's good and what's not so good about a finished garment because it makes me feel so very smart. Plus, it's revealed a whole world of British sewing bloggers and pattern makers that I wasn't aware of until now!  In Series 1 there was a contestant named Tilly who, although she didn't make it to the end, was pretty dang awesome. I loved her creations and the fact that she was drafting her own patterns instead of using pre-made ones. Well, it turns out she has a sewing blog, www.tillyandthebuttons.com, and several really cute patterns. Jared took me sewing shop...

An ideal homemaker makes the best use of her time and energy by being efficient so that she is able not only to keep up with her housework, but she is able to be a companion to her husband and a friend and teacher to her children. She is able to pursue personal interests which further contribute to her happiness and development. Last week I realized just how much time I have each day. The girls are all in school, I'm not working anymore, and most of my days are wide open. After Natalie and Samantha leave for the bus it's eight hours before anyone comes home again. Most days I exercise, spend an hour or so doing actual homemaking related things, and then spend the rest of the day pretty much however I want. This has led to some days where I spend my time being fairly productive and other days (most days, if we're being honest) where I'm spectacularly lazy. It's nice to have so much time to do with as I will, but I do realize I need to be more intentional and mak...

A bulleted list of things that have been going on the past couple of weeks: Emily is finally a legal driver both in the States and here in England. It's a simple process, just sit in a class and take a written test, but it's only offered one morning a week and it didn't work with Emily's school schedule until now. She's officially licensed to drive here and it's nice not to have to do the morning seminary run anymore. It will also come in handy this spring when she and Abigail are playing soccer. No more mom taxi! Now that we have three drivers we have three cars as well. One of Jared's co-workers was moving and had a car to sell. Besides being a Toyota 4 Runner, aka Jared's dream car, it was a great deal at only $300! Granted, it's a 20-year-old car but it's in good shape with the exception of rusty bumpers, missing trim on the passenger side, fading paint on the hood, a leaky sun roof that won't open, and a driver's seat that has se...

Ten years ago we bought a new couch and it was our dream couch. Our entire family could sit on it and it perfectly fit the space in the living room of our little Cheyenne, Wyoming house as well as the five houses in which we've lived since then. It's the most expensive piece of furniture we've ever purchased and I'm pretty sure that it was worth more than either of our cars were at the time! Ten years, six houses, countless hours of family time, being moved over the Atlantic Ocean three times, this baby has seen a lot and sadly has started to show it's age. Sagging seats, particularly in the spots Jared and I most like to sit in, flattened back cushions, and cushion covers that are stretched out like a pair of jeans after being worn a few too many times. Especially since we've arrived in England, I've been kind of down on it and thinking maybe it's time for something new. But it would be really nice if it could last until the end of Jared's militar...

An ideal homemaker realizes that order must be the first law of her home. With her home free from clutter and confusion, maximum progress and accomplishment may be enjoyed by family members. This helps bring about a tranquil atmosphere which is a blessing to all. Chapter 4 in the Art of Homemaking was the longest yet and for me was definitely a case of preaching to the converted. The practice of having a place for everything and everything in it's place is one that I have always embraced and it was nice to have my obsessive neatness validated, even if it was coming from a fifty-year-old book.  Overall, this facet of homemaking has to do with the power of habits and the very basic fact that it is just as easy to put clothes, papers, books, and other items where they actually belong as it is to throw them over a chair, on a table, or wherever your go-to spot is for dumping things. It might take a second or two longer initially, but in the long run you'll save time by kn...

Our week started on a bit of a low note. Natalie lost a tooth at school and was very, very excited about it but things quickly went south. It all started at bedtime when she realized that she had lost the tooth and was worried about what the tooth fairy would think or do. Jared told her not to worry because mom's the tooth fairy. A little abrupt way to crush a long-held childhood belief, but it was true and was said in an attempt to make her feel better. She countered by insisting that "mom doesn't have wings." One of her sisters, I really can't remember who, backed up Jared's revelation but she still wasn't believing it. Finally, I chimed in, saying that everyone was telling her the truth and it was time to stop arguing and get ready for bed. She went off to change into her pajamas and brush her teeth and it was then that we heard her SOBBING in the bathroom. Wow. Parenting fail for sure. I had no idea that she was that attached to the idea of the tooth f...

Some weeks seem to fly and others last forever. This week was a week that flew by but it wasn't really because we were busy. It was just regular life moving swiftly and as I looked back over the week I was a little stumped. Was there even anything to write about? But as they say, everyday moments make the best memories so here we go with our weekly run-down. I mentioned to someone the other day that I only see Jared in three things - his uniform, his pajamas, and his church suit. I should probably amend that to include workout clothes since he wears them out the door each morning.  Jared's favorite pajamas are these amazing flannel pants he got for Christmas. As you can see, he can really rock some plaid flannel. Look at that power pose! In my first art of homemaking post , I wrote about the first facet of homemaking which includes appearance. I've made an effort over the past month to get all the way ready every day, including makeup. It's honestly a big ch...