Home & Family Archives - Simply Kierste

{thoughts on motherhood & life}

May
12

I have six children, five of them in six years. Life is...a little crazy. -I get funny looks in the grocery store, whether it's because I have a lot of little kids with me, or because someone is throwing a fit. -Cleaning up messes and trying to prevent disaster is how most of my day is spent.-I've stopped counting how many loads of laundry I do, because I'm afraid to know.-I hope that I get a shower...at least every other day.-I fall into bed every night, hoping that the baby will sleep just one more hour.-I spend more time cooking meals and cleaning them up than anything else I do.-I rarely have a quiet moment, just a constant, dull roar in the background.-I pack everything + the kitchen … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home & Family | 9 Comments

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{striped straw birthday candles}

Apr
30

It was my girls' birthday this weekend, and we had such a blast celebrating! They wanted a pink cake, which was a pretty easy request considering what they've asked for in past years. I made a simple pink cake, and when it was time for the birthday candles, it just seemed like it needed something more. I was getting out some striped straws for our hot chocolate, when I had an idea... The hole in the straw looked to be just a tad bigger than the plain birthday candles I had (just the regular white striped ones), and I decided to see if they would fit inside, and they did! It was a tight fit, but I was able to slide them in just far enough that they were secure. SO CUTE!!! It made … [Read more...]

Filed Under: All Crafts, Birthdays, Crafts, Entertaining, For the Home, Gift Ideas, Home & Family | 1 Comment

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{simple DIY numbered labels}

Apr
25

I number everything. It's true. I do number things just to make them cute, but I also use numbers quite a bit for organizational purposes. With six kids, numbers really come in handy, although I do feel a little like Captain Von Trapp. ☺ Each of my children have a number, and they have their own kitchen stool, coat hook, and more. We have a front entry bench with baskets underneath it, where each child has their own basket for shoes. We used to have the whole family's shoes there, and the kids shared baskets, but they were quickly running out of room. Now it's one child per basket, and it was time for numbered labels! These are highly used shoe baskets, and I needed durable, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY Decor, For the Home, Home & Family, Organization | 8 Comments

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{paper sack mother’s day card} a child’s Q&A

Apr
23

paper sack mother's day cards | simplykierste.com

At my church, I get to work with the Primary children (kids aged 3-11), and I LOVE it. Mother's Day is just a few short weeks away, and this week I designed a super fun card that I think all their moms are going to love! I wanted to make a card where they could each express some favorite things about their mom. I was talking to one of my best friends this week, and she reminded me of an idea that I have actually loved for a long time...in fact, my oldest son wrote a card like it for me when he was in preschool, and it's one of my most treasured possessions. Asking a child questions about their mom--some funny, others serious--and putting it all together in a cute package was just what I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Birthdays, Crafts, Father's Day, Gift Ideas, Home & Family, Kids' Crafts, Mother's Day, Packaging, Printables, Teachers, Thinking of You | 57 Comments

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{2013 summer schedule}

Apr
19

Yes, I know it's only April, but summer is soon upon us, and I've already started penciling in summer activities. Summer camps, swimming lessons, and vacations have made their way onto my calendar, and there is more to come. I'm constantly learning about other fun summer activities, and I love having a place to keep them all straight, and reduce overbooking or overlapping. I created this summer schedule several years ago, and loved it, so I update it each year and live by it the whole summer! It makes me happy! :) There are a couple of ways you can use this: 1. Download the PDF file, place in a frame, and use it as a dry erase board. (Use a fine point Sharpie--it won't rub off … [Read more...]

Filed Under: For the Home, Holiday Projects, Home & Family, Organization, Summer Fun | 12 Comments

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{chalkboard & fence post family home evening board}

Apr
17

Family Home Evening Board | simplykierste.com

Every Monday night is a special one at our house...it's Family Night, or Family Home Evening as we like to call it. We put everything on hold, and don't put anything else on the schedule. Everyone stays home, and we enjoy some really fun and quality time together as a family. We do have a structure, not only to stay organized, but to also give each member of the family an opportunity to contribute. We sing songs, have a simple gospel lesson from the scriptures, pray, eat treats, play games, have a talent show (you should see some of the crazy talents my kids have, lol!), and do some kind of activity--whether it's playing games, going on a walk, bike ride, or to the park, bowling, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: All Crafts, Crafts, For the Home, Home & Family, Organization, Re-purpose & Refinish, Silhouette | 7 Comments

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{nursery in a small space}

Apr
10

Hello everyone! How I've missed you! I've spent the last three weeks snuggling this darling baby girl... Isn't she scrumptious? I seriously cannot stop kissing those chubby cheeks! I'm slowly adjusting a new "normal", and life as mom of six kids. SIX. Yikes. Doesn't that sound like a lot, lol? My parents left last week, and my husband is back to work this week, so I'm on my own! It's actually going pretty well, and I have A LOT of helpers at home to hold the baby and run to get things when I need them. My project list is literally a mile long, and I've kind of gone crazy over the last week. I really haven't been able to do much to our house since moving in 9 months ago, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Babies & Children, For the Home, Furniture, Organization | 32 Comments

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{it’s baby time} ruffled onesie with skip to my lou

Mar
21

Hello everyone! My name is Cindy Hopper and I blog at Skip to my Lou. I love making home made gifts and nothing is sweeter than a home made baby gift! You might enjoy browsing through my Home Made Gift Guide! This cute little ruffled onesie is a super quick and simple baby gift that you can whip up in no time. For this ruffled butt onesie no need to cut strips of fabric and finish edges. All you need is 1 -1/2 inch wide organza ribbon. Grab a onesie (a nicer quality one than I had on hand) and some ribbon and you are ready to go. Position the ribbon where you want the ruffle and measure three times the width. Repeat this for each of the three (or more) rows. I had three lengths of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Babies & Children | 3 Comments

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{it’s baby time} baby subway art with eighteen25

Mar
20

It's Baby Time w/ eighteen25 | simplykierste.com

Hello! It's Jennifer, Jamie and Jodie from eighteen25 here today. We are so excited for Kierste and her family as they welcome a new baby girl into their family. It's always such a special time to have a sweet newborn to snuggle and kiss on. Today we want to share with you a Mini Baby Album. We've taken a miniature version of our Baby Subway Art and turned it into an adorable accordion album that will make a special keepsake for all those sweet smelling babies in your life. SUPPLIES: • colored cardstock (we used Stonehenge by Bazzill Basics) • white cardstock • ribbon • mini subway art (download 4x6 HERE) • adhesive (we used a glue stick and glue dots) • glitter … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Babies & Children | 5 Comments

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{baby announcement hershey kiss stickers} easy tutorial included!

Mar
06

Baby Announcement Hershey Kiss Printables | simplykierste.com

I really wanted something fun to give visitors at the hospital and at home when I had the baby--something small & simple, and with her name on it. We've all seen Hershey Kiss stickers for every season & holiday, and I've always loved them, so I thought designing one as a tiny baby announcement would be PERFECT! The idea came to me when I was in Michael's, and saw bags of Hershey kisses that said "It's a Girl" and "It's a Boy". I immediately fell in love with them, and knew adding her name to the bottom was exactly what I was looking for. If you can't find them at your local Michael's store, just google them--lots of links come up where you can buy them online...or use regular … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Babies, Babies & Children, Crafts, Gift Ideas, Home & Family, Printables | 8 Comments

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