Revisiting the Viking Nursery

I just love this nursery theme and wanted to revisit it today!  The twins' nursery theme will be posted soon!

Every one of my babies has a theme.  Little Prez had a farm theme, Little Princess had a mermaid theme and Little Viking has a corresponding theme!

His nursery theme is . . . Vikings!  I wanted something unique, masculine, and adorable.  I really like the adventure themed nurseries I've seen on Pinterest, but it seems like the adventure theme is just a bit too common at this point for me.  So, I decided to take a Norse spin on the adventure theme and use a Viking Nursery Theme.

Hanna Anderson Crib Sheet @ Amazon

Viking Ship Bookends @ Etsy

Sleigh Crib @ Amazon

Hipster Waves Round Rug @ Amazon

Viking Ship Mobile @ Etsy

Be Brave Print

Viking Ship Bookends

I think this was the first Pinterest picture that came up with my first search, and even though I probably will never buy these awesome bookends, I think they are perfect for a shelf or top of a dresser in a Viking themed nursery.

Viking bookends by Knob Creek Metal Arts

@ Etsy.com

Viking Ship Sheets

Hanna Andersson Viking Set 

@ Amazon.com

There is a crib sheet set available in the boat fabric that I'm very tempted to buy even though it's a bit more than I would usually spend on crib sheets.  (Okay, maybe I've never even bought a crib sheet that wasn't at a garage sale, so maybe that shouldn't count.)

Waves Area Rug

And I just adore this waves rug!  It comes in a variety of sizes both rectangular and round, but I think the round version just works with the round waves for a Viking themed nursery.

Lil Mo Hipster Surf Blue Area Rug

@ Amazon.com

Viking-Inspired Sleigh Crib

This sleigh crib from Pottery Barn just says Vikings to me, but unfortunately it's not longer available.  I did find a similar one from Bratt Decor on Amazon.  You can check it out here.

Pottery Barn Larkin Sleigh Crib

Viking Ship Mobile

Viking Ship Mobile by toymakertothekings

@ Etsy.com

There are several versions of this Viking ship mobile available from a variety of websites, but this is one is my favorite, by far, because of the navy striped sails.


Be Brave Viking Wall Print

And last, but not least, this Be Brave print is super cute and is the perfect color scheme as well.  Unfortunately, it is no longer being sold at the Etsy shop where it originated, so I may try to make one on my own!

Viking Pillow

And I almost forgot this adorable pillow from Hanna Andersson.  The red doesn't quite fit with my blue and grey them, but I really like this little guy!

 

Viking Pillow by Hanna Andersson

@ Amazon.com

Viking Swaddle

I just found this, oh so sweet, viking swaddle!  We use swaddles for our babies ALL THE TIME.  It's a necessity.  :-)

Viking Swaddle @ Amazon.com

Old Viking Boat Wall Art

I'm in love with this Viking wall art.  It's just so majestic and beautiful.  I'd love to see it somewhere in a Viking themed nursery!

Old Viking Boat Wall Art @ Amazon.com

Personalized Viking Ship Wall Decal

This adorable personalized Viking Ship wall decal might be another necessity in a Viking themed nursery!

Custom Viking Ship Wall Decal @ Amazon.com

I'm on the lookout for more inspirations and products for my Viking themed nursery!  Can't wait for my little Viking to arrive in a few days!

Busy Family Weekly Meal Plan | April 22nd

Monday - Tacos (after soccer)

Tuesday - Fancy Ramen Noodles (after soccer/Mommy @ Start:ME)

Wednesday - Egg Salad (using those Easter eggs up) with carrots and crackers

Thursday - Stir-Fry (after soccer)

Friday - Homemade Pizza with Carrots and Salad

Saturday - Breakfast: High Protein Cottage Cheese Pancakes with fruit and bacon (making extra to freeze!)

Lunch: Sandwiches

Dinner: Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Casserole with fruit and carrots 

Sunday - Lunch: Salad and Smoothies

Dinner: Home Group -- Roast?

Here's my grocery list for this week; I'm trying to keep it under $75.

Dairy	Produce	Staples	Meat
milk x2	celery	taco shells	ground beef
eggs x1	broccoli	black beans	chicken
shredded ched	fruit	cereal	pepperoni
mozzarella	lettuce	snacks
feta	carrots x4	miso broth
	tomato	bone broth
		pizza sauce
		crackers/chips

Have a great week!

Find previous meal plans here.

Follow Elise Harvey {Harvey Ever After}'s board Weekly Menus at Harvey Ever After on Pinterest.

**Linking up at I'm an Organizing Junkie for Meal Plan Monday**

This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and then purchase a product, I may earn a few pennies for referring you to the site.  

I Am STILL Ruining My Evenings

It's 8:15pm.  I just tucked my toddlers into bed, and I can finally finish cleaning up the kitchen from dinner, put the groceries away, and fold a load of laundry, but somehow I crawl into bed a couple hours later with the dirty dishes still in the sink and the laundry still in the dryer.  

I wrote this two years ago and somehow it still seems familiar.  With five little ones under six, it is SO hard to follow my own advice.  I'm revisiting this post because, well, I need it.  I'm planning to retake the Money Saving Mom class starting tonight.  Tonight.

Does this sound familiar?

If you're like me, you probably have the best of intentions in making the most of the evening by tidying up and getting prepped for tomorrow.

BUT if you're like me, you might get your kids tucked into bed and think, "It's been a long day, and I can finally sit down and relax for a few minutes."

The next thing you know, it's time to get to bed, so that you can be rested when your alarm goes off at 6 AM the next morning.

Where did the evening go?

I've identified three reasons that I consistently ruin my evenings.

1. Spending Too Much Time on Social Media

Do you sit down to check your email, just to find yourself still scrolling through Facebook half an hour later?

I certainly do.  And we are not alone.  86% of moms are members of at least one social network.  And mothers with children under five spend 37 hours each month on their smartphones using apps or browsing the web.

Nevertheless, social media can suck time away from all of the important things we need to get done.

Social media can wait.  This is just one reason why you might be ruining your evenings.

#2.  Putting "it" off until tomorrow.

Do you ever think, "I'll just do that in the morning"?

I do.  Somehow I think that if I put off the things I need to do in lieu of the things I want to do (i.e. social media), that I'll be able to easily catch up later.

And then life laughs in my face when I hit the snooze button three, maybe four, times the next morning.

The dishes in the sink just grow and grow.  The laundry pile seems to triple in size each day that I don't wash a load.  These chores-that-never-end (they just go on and on my friend), should not be delayed until tomorrow.

And this is reason #2 that you might be ruining your evenings.  (I do.)

#3.  Forgetting to delegate.

Once the kids are in bed, and I can finally get back to those things around the house I need to finish before bed, I tend to 1) get overwhelmed and sleepy and 2) forget to delegate.

Why should I need to finish clearing the table or washing the dishes at all when I have a wonderfully capable and willing husband and a wonderfully capable (though admittedly less willing) tween who can help with the dishes and such?

The answer is that I shouldn't.

Not that I won't have things to do after tucking the toddlers in bed, but I need to learn to delegate better.

I'm working on a cleaning schedule that clearly delegates tasks to each member of the family, including my oldest toddler, but the first few days of it haven't gone smoothly.  It's a work in progress, right?

Do you delegate efficiently?

This is yet another reason that you might be ruining your evening (like me).


#4.  Bonus! Justifying Watching Just One (okay, maybe two) Episodes of That Show You Don't Even Care About

"I worked all day for everyone else in my family, so I deserve 45 minutes to myself to watch the latest fad on Hulu (or Amazon Prime or Netflix)"

Do you ever find yourself saying that to yourself?

I can't tell you how many different shows I've watched in the last year alone.  I'm in no way attached to them, they are just mindless entertainment.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's complete fine to watch mindless entertainment, but not to the extent that it ends up ruining your evening.


. . .

But what can we do to make our evenings run smoothly and prepare us for the next morning?

I have what I hope will be the answer for me.

One of my very favorite bloggers, Crystal Paine from MoneySavingMom.com, is hosting a course called, Make Over Your Evenings.

I'm SO excited to take part in the course, and if you are anything like me, you should be excited to take this course, too!

The Make Over Your Evenings class requires just 15 minutes once a day for two weeks.  I bet you can handle that!


So hurry to MakeOverYourEvenings.com to get more details and SIGN UP!

Let's Make Over Our Evenings together, so that we can stop Ruining Our Evenings.

**This post contains affiliate links.  Please see my full disclosure policy.**

Weekly Meal Plan | April 15th

Monday - Couscous Salad & Quesadillas (after soccer)

Tuesday - Paleo Stroganoff with salad (after soccer/Mommy @ Start:ME)

Wednesday - Burritos with sauteed zucchini & yellow squash

Thursday - Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Casserole with fruit and carrots (after soccer)

Friday - Homemade Pizza with Carrots & Salad

Saturday - Breakfast: High Protein Cottage Cheese Pancakes with fruit and bacon (making extra to freeze!)

Lunch: Sandwiches

Dinner: Leftovers

Sunday - Easter brunch out


Here's my grocery list for this week; I'm trying to keep it under $75. 

Dairy	Produce	Staples	Meat
milk x4	zucchini	salsa	ground beef x2
eggs x1	yellow squash	rice	chicken
sour cream	broccoli	quinoa	bacon
cheese	fruit?	couscous
feta	carrots x4	black beans
cottage cheese	red bell pepper	corn
	cucumber	tortillas
	cilantro	coconut milk
	mushrooms	rosemary
	salad kits x2	minced garlic
		egg noodles
		pizza dough mix
		snacks

Have a great week!

Find previous meal plans here.

Follow Elise Harvey {Harvey Ever After}'s board Weekly Menus at Harvey Ever After on Pinterest.

**Linking up at I'm an Organizing Junkie for Meal Plan Monday**

This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and then purchase a product, I may earn a few pennies for referring you to the site.  

Meal Plan | Sept 17

Monday - Leftover burritos after A's soccer practice

Tuesday - Paleo Stroganoff (making double to freeze for after twins' arrival!) after L's soccer

Wednesday - Paleo Fish Chowder

Thursday - Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Casserole (doubling this too) after L's soccer

Friday - Harvest Chicken and Sweet Potato Skillet 

Saturday - Breakfast: High Protein Cottage Cheese Pancakes (making extra to freeze!)

Lunch: Sandwiches

Dinner: Leftovers

Sunday - Home Group

Also, has anyone tried a meal service like Blue Apron or Hello Fresh?  I'm trying to evaluate if something like this would be helpful after the twins arrive or if a meal planning service like Paleo Plan would be better.  I'd love your thoughts!

Have a great week!

Find previous meal plans here.

Follow Elise Harvey {Harvey Ever After}'s board Weekly Menus at Harvey Ever After on Pinterest.

**Linking up at I'm an Organizing Junkie for Meal Plan Monday**

This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and then purchase a product, I may earn a few pennies for referring you to the site.  

Don't you love mail?

 **I was compensated for this post. This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.  However, the opinions included in this post are my own honest opinions.  


When was the last time you received a card in the mail?

We receive a few around Christmas, but that's really it.  My kiddos receive cards for nearly every holiday from my grandmother, which is the sweetest thing.

I keep thinking that I should revive the trend of sending cards for no reason at all, but I haven't been particularly consistent with it.  But then, I was at Dollar Tree this week picking up some awesome finds for homeschool this year when I noticed a new addition at the store.  (Seriously, Dollar Tree is my fave for so organizing, school supplies, seasonal decor, birthday party everything, etc.  And one just opened in my hometown in Kansas!  Did you know there are something like 6,500 stores!?)

Anyway, I always get my cards from Dollar Tree (and my gift bags, by the way).  The five or more dollars I would have to spend at a major retailer to get a card I like is most certainly not worth it.  But, getting cards for $1 or less is awesome. 

What makes it even more awesome is that Dollar Tree is now carrying Hallmark cards, and they are beautiful!  Don't you think so? 

(I was lucky enough to be selected to receive a sampler of the new cards for the blog.)  Here are a few of my favorites!







This teal and orange birthday card is my favorite, favorite.  I love how there's a shine to the teal background, and well, it's my favorite colors. 

These two birthday cards would be perfect for Miss Coco or Little Prez.  Super cute. 

















And this last one is simple, but elegant and well done.  It really makes me feel the need for community among family and friends that sometimes we really have to work for in these digital times.







The quality of the cards really is just like that of the Hallmark cards I see in other stores.  They have more detail and style than some of the other options at Dollar Tree.  Little things like glitter and shine and creative edges that really communicate the Hallmark brand that you'd expect.  Click here to check the cards out online. 

I'm thinking about adding this to our homeschool activities as my kindergartener and preschooler improve their reading and writing.  What better way to have a fun writing practice time than to write letters and cards to grandparents, aunts, and cousins who live far away?  The new cards are 2 for $1 or $1 each, so it's a really inexpensive way to bring some joy to relatives while also practicing new skills!

Farm Fresh Meal Plan | July 30th

Last week, I used eggplant, tomatoes, and potatoes from hubby's farm in a few dishes as he has quite the eggplant production this year.  I also pickled some eggplant and made another batch of dill pickles using a recipe from Serious Eats.  (Love that site!)


Monday - Southwest Chicken Salad after Lincoln's final tee ball game of the season!

Tuesday - Paleo Stroganoff

Wednesday - Sheetpan Eggplant Parmesan with Pasta

Thursday - Eggplant and Scrambled Egg Hash

Friday - Flounder, Black Beans, Veggies,* and Bulgar

Saturday - Breakfast: High Protein Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Lunch: Sandwiches

Dinner: Leftovers

Sunday - Leftovers

Also, has anyone tried a meal service like Blue Apron or Hello Fresh?  I'm trying to evaluate if something like this would be helpful after the twins arrive or if a meal planning service like Paleo Plan would be better.  I'd love your thoughts!

Tea anyone? (Update: 2 minutes later this turned into a water fight with our "tea". Four pitchers of water later, all kids were soaked and ready for real lunch!) . . . #teaparty #preschoolersofinstagram #saturdaymorning #lovemylincoln #adoremyaria #smittenwithmysalem #harveyeverafter

A post shared by Elise Johansen Harvey (@harveyeverafter) on Jul 28, 2018 at 9:29am PDT

Have a great week!

Find previous meal plans here.

Follow Elise Harvey {Harvey Ever After}'s board Weekly Menus at Harvey Ever After on Pinterest.

**Linking up at I'm an Organizing Junkie for Meal Plan Monday**

This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and then purchase a product, I may earn a few pennies for referring you to the site.  

Farm Fresh Meal Plan | July 23rd

Last week, I used eggplant from hubby's farm in a few dishes as he has quite the eggplant production this year.  I'm expecting the same this week, but I really need more eggplant recipes.  We were not fans of the eggplant parmesan last week.  I canned another batch of pickles, this time adapting an recipe from Serious Eats.  I'm labeling each batch to compare and find our favorite pickle recipe.


Monday - MIL is bringing BBQ for after L's teeball game

Tuesday - Leftover Bowtie Pasta with Farm Fresh Tomato Sauce* and Baked Eggplant*

Wednesday - Leftover Orange Sriracha Drumsticks with Stir Fried Veggies* and Rice

Thursday - Seven Spice Roast Beef with Veggies* and Fruit after t-ball

Friday - Flounder, Black Beans, Veggies,* and Bulgar

Saturday - Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs

Lunch: Sandwiches

Dinner: Leftovers

Sunday - Leftovers

Also, who has Joanna Gaines' cookbook, Magnolia Table??  I know it's not Paleo, but I really want it!  I just think it needs to sit next to my Pioneer Woman Cooks and Pioneer Woman Cooks Dinnertime.  What do you think?

Source: Amazon

Source: Amazon

 

Source: Amazon

  Have a great week!





Related Post: Healthy Cheesy Potato Soup

Find previous meal plans here.

Follow Elise Harvey {Harvey Ever After}'s board Weekly Menus at Harvey Ever After on Pinterest.

**Linking up at I'm an Organizing Junkie for Meal Plan Monday**

This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and then purchase a product, I may earn a few pennies for referring you to the site.