MommyCoddle

Woodlawn \\ A BEFORE tour of the downstairs

I have a running list in my moleskine of things I want to write about this year and at the top of the list are several posts about Woodlawn. When we were first moving in, I shared occasional progress updates of how we were using the laser level and which sections of the woodwork were complete but then the overwhelming task of settling in took over my life.

Don’t be fooled. Almost two years later and I swear I still feel like we’re settling in. And fixing things. Like utilizing a self propelled lawn mower to be able to give maintenance to the garden. And finding more broken things. And learning how to make do with things that we can’t fix right now. And there are days when I wouldn’t trade it for anything. And days when I’d trade it for a tidy little condo in the city.

Just when I thought we weren’t making much progress around here, finding these pictures makes me feel like we’ve come along way with this old girl. When Dan walked in tonight to see what I was working on, he said, “I don’t think it’s really changed all that much.” Boy, were we both wrong. So since my house is nowhere near tidy enough right now for “after” photos I’d be willing to share and still maintain my dignity, tonight you get to dig into the “before”.

We fell in love with this house long before we ever stepped inside, or drove down the long lane. And looking at these photos, I still see big glimpses of why. She’s got beautiful bones and it’s been a slow journey to help her come back to life, no matter how long that might be.

I hope you enjoy taking a peek inside this 1812 farmhouse officially called “Woodlawn” in the history books. These photos are from the very first time we walked through after the previous owner’s things had been removed. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to getting a wee bit overwhelmed at the site of the work ahead of us, especially that kitchen. Can we please discuss that dishwasher?! I’m thinking it’s got to be the first dishwasher ever made, circa 1812. (kidding.) Then, we also were worried about the HVAC units since they were really old; thankfully to the good company similar to United Plumbing Heating Air & Electric which my friend recommended me for HVAC system check up and repair. Also, we did our research through https://www.airnowhvac.com/heating-and-air-conditioning-millbrook-al/ and they were able to guide us in the right direction. Now, we’re happy that we got it tuned up via a repair corona service. You can read more about it here.

So enjoy this peek inside Woodlawn. This is the downstairs tour, and if you enjoy it, let me know. I’ve got the upstairs, attic, basement and barn to share as well. You can click on the thumbnails below to view them in a larger view or slideshow.

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You might also like my farmhouse inspiration and kitchen boards on Pinterest, where I’ve been gathering inspiration and ideas.
Follow Molly Balint’s board farmhouse inspiration on Pinterest.

Follow Molly Balint’s board kitchen on Pinterest.

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good finds

Favorite find: Twined

If you asked me what some of my favorite topics are to talk about on MommyCoddle, at the top of the list would be connecting my readers with products, services and good things that I think they’ll love. And this new site called Twined definitely falls into that category. I think the idea behind it, and how it works is pretty genius. I even connect with a few readers who even own small businesses and often use and refer this page to teach them new aspects of owning a small business. It not only helps to expand y knowledge but also helps me connect better with them.

If you’re anything like me, making a big purchase requires two things: a lot of research and a lot of friend and family polling. I’ll spend tons of time consulting product reviews, researching prices and finding out what my friends and family use.

Which Vitamix should I get? I polled my Facebook friends and got great feedback on features, things to consider (I never would have thought to consider if it would fit under my cupboards) and learned about buying refurbished models. When I registered for my first baby, I had my sister on speed dial–calling her every few minutes to ask how many onesies I’d really need, which carseat she used for her kids and how the whole numbered diaper system worked.

Twined is like your friends, family and favorite review sites helping you scour the web for the best products and helping you make smart buying decisions. Twined was created with the customer in mind, helping to make the shopping experience better and cheaper for consumers.

How does it work?

Through the Twined community and Twined Tastemakers, they get your opinions on high quality products that you love. Twined Tastemakers then review and research these products to help you find the best products out there and then they share them on the Twined site. If you are interested in the product Twined will work directly with the brand to negotiate discounted prices on the product.

But there’s more–on Twined there’s power in numbers. As more people commit to buy the product the price continues to drop. So the more buddies you get on the deal with you, the less you have to pay and you’ll never pay more than the lowest price.

Is there a catch?

Nope. You will need to sign up to be part of the Twined community, but the service is free. You need to logon to your account to get access to the deals and discounts, but that’s also free. Your information is never sold to a third party and there’s no annoying spam filling up your inbox.

Twined believes in transparency and honesty. Their goal is not to sell you something but to match their community with the best possible deals on high quality products that they want and will use. The tastemakers are hand-selecting the products that they want share with the Twined community–products that they already use and love–not paid product reviews. The whole philosophy is built on community and putting the power back into hands of consumers with Twined as go-between for brands and customers.

I’ve personally spent time talking to the guys behind the Twined company and they’re awesome. They truly have honesty and customer satisfaction as the most important goal behind their company. I’m really excited to share their service with you and to let you know that I’m one of Twined newest Tastemakers!

Later this week, I’ll be sharing my first product with you — one of my favorite baby gear items that I tell all my expecting friends to add to their shopping list.

In the meantime, you can check out Twined here and read a little bit more about how it all works. It’s definitely a good thing worth sharing!

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art with children / celebrations / crafting with children / favorites

Tiny folded paper heart envelopes

After all these years of motherhood, I think I have finally established our Valentine’s Day tradition. For years, I found myself scrambling to come up with little gifts and breakfasts on red plates and candy and surprises. But it was just too much. So we’ve gone super simple the past several years, and I love it. Each year the girls get a new poem from me, with a invite for a special treat. It’s low-key, low-stress, and even though they know what’s coming, they look forward to it each year.

But I thought I’d share this SUPER simple way I fold their heart valentines into tiny little envelopes. If you come from the generation of cootie catchers and passing perfectly folded love notes in 5th grade social studies (Me? Never!) then you’re going to be all over this. What is it about tiny little folded paper envelopes, made even better when there’s a love note for your little one, tucked inside.

Awesome, right? My kids (and I) can’t get enough of these. I think we could sit and fold the day away.

Happy hearts. More soon….xo.

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