What I Know Now

When my son was starting Kindergarten my husband and I decided that we should try to have one more child. I was so naive, so happy, so wanting to have a baby girl. Thinking about this time in my life also got me thinking about the question what would I tell myself if I knew then what I know now? It's a tough question to think about.

· I would say that something is about to happen to you, to your family, something that you are not prepared for but it is going to be okay, it is going to be fine.

· A wonderful little girl is about to enter your life and she is going to make it a brighter place to be.

· I would tell myself I know you are scared. I know you blame yourself and it is okay to feel these things. Just know deep down that God chose you to be this little girl's mommy for a reason. He knows you are strong and loving and will be there for her no matter what.

· She needs you. She needs your love. She needs your help. She needs you to just love her. Love her for who she is, not for who she was supposed to be or may never become.

· I would say she is not what you expected, she is so much more. She is going to teach you things about life that you took for granted or never understood before. She is going to teach you how to appreciate life and how to love.

· I would tell myself that because of this little girl you are going to be a better person. You will be more giving, more caring, and more loving. You are going to be all that you can be, all because of her.

· She is going to be a joy to your family. She is going to make your family stronger.

· Don't be scared she is going to get through the heart surgery and amaze everyone.

· She is going to amaze you with how much she can do. She will do so much more than the experts tell you she will do.

· I would tell myself that I am stronger than I know and that she is stronger than I can ever imagine and we will all be alright.

· I would tell myself that you will love this baby girl more than you can possibly imagine. She will teach you to love better and hug harder.

· She is going to change your whole world as you know it and make it even better.

· You will appreciate how precious life is.

· The road ahead might be scary because there is so much more that is unknown. Don't worry about what you don't know, just love her and she will love you back.

· Enjoy life in this very moment, enjoy each one as they come and cherish them.

I have learned so much since that day, almost three years ago now. I will continue to learn and grow and to hopefully help others to understand what it is like being a special needs parent to a special    little girl who just happens to have Down syndrome.

Beth is  a wife, stay at home mom, crafter, blogger, ex-teacher, and homeschooler. She is also a special needs mom to a little girl who just happens to have an extra copy of her 21st chromosome. She loves her life and is thankful each and every day that she gets to stay at home with her two children.  The loves of her life are her husband and her two kids. She loves spending time with them and having fun together. She enjoys anything Disney. She loves sharing on her blog and her youtube channel.

Website- www.myhandsandheartarefull.com

Youtube channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHzceRi83-SIE2bnIjODdeg

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/MyHandsAndHeartAreFull?ref=hl

Kitchen Tour

As I promised I am following through with my vow to do a series of home tour blog posts. Let me start this off by saying I am in no way shape or form an interior design expert. We don't live in some massive luxurious home, but we do live in a comfortable townhome that fits our family perfectly! Last post I gave y'all a glimpse into our master bedroom and today I'm exposing quite possibly the hardest room to keep clean...the kitchen.

 

 

 

 

Our apartment complex has been around for decades and has great architecture. We have vaulted ceilings and miraculously we have a large kitchen...score! I'm not used to having such a neutral wall color in a kitchen. Our last home had dark cherry cabinets and charcoal walls so this was a challenge for me honestly. I've had an obsession with shabby chic elements for a while but it is not my usual decor forte' so I always stayed away from it. I found the adorable canvas artwork above out sink at Kirklands and just couldn't resist. It's got 3D burlap flowers and so many fun colors in it which makes matching decor to it sooooo much easier. It also makes our Boon "lawn" drying rack not stick out like a sore thumb.

  

  

  

The stove is absolutely awful to me when it's bare. It's old and blah. Thank goodness I have a candle obsession because it takes the focus off of the age of this beast. I also opted to put a colorful dishtowel over the handle which helps conceal the plain-ness. I'm also an IKEA addict and love finding functional items that I will actually use. I found this paper towel rack that screws to the wall for $5! This bad boy has been in our home for years and it definitely gets put to use.

  

  

One of my all time favorite kitchen finds is from...you guessed it...IKEA. It is actually made for gardening I think but we use it to hold our teas and sugar dispenser. Sometimes we trade out the teas and put my infamous paper straws in this but usually it is filled with my beloved stress relieving tea bags.

  

  

My most recent addition is this wall mounted bottle opener. What really sold this for me is the fact that it has an attached mason jar to hold bottle caps. I may or may not need an intervention for my mason jar obsession. We actually don't even have actual drinking glasses anymore. We use blue glass mason jars for that purpose.

                                                   

  

 

                                              

  

 

I have a firm belief that candles can transform a space. One of my favorite brands is Park Hill. Their scents are intoxicating and the wicker design makes them oh so cute. Right now we are burning "Bee Skep" and let me just say you should go find this exact candle, burn it and fall in love. It's incredible!

  

  

Our kitchen is nothing worthy of Interior Digest but it has personality to it. When we walk in it always has such an inviting feel about it. We never thought we'd ever feel so comfortable in an apartment complex. This little townhouse of ours feels like home sweet home.

How To Clean Your Baby's Toys

If you have you a baby or toddler you know their toys go in their mouth, on the floor, then back in their mouth again. Here is an easy way to clean and sanitize all of your little ones plastic toys!

All you will need is a small squirt of your dishwashing liquid, a good pour of vinegar, and a bathtub full of water.

I fill my tub up with warm water and squirt a bit of the dishwashing liquid under the water to create some suds and bubbles. Then I do a nice pour of vinegar under the running water as well. I swirl the toys around a bit to make sure everything is incorporated, then leave to soak in the solution.

The dishwashing liquid will wash away all of the dirt and grime on the toys and the vinegar acts as a natural sanitizer. I use vinegar a lot around our home - in the toilet and in a homemade all purpose cleaner I made to clean countertops and other surfaces. The smell of vinegar can get a bit strong (I am a weirdo and love it!), but once it dries it will go away. 

After about 30 minutes, I let the water out and run cool water to rinse off the toys. I set them all out on a towel to air dry. Ta da! You now have clean toys! It is a lot easier than trying to wipe down each toy one by one with a sanitizing wipe! I do this about once a week to ensure everything stays nice and clean. I am happy and so are my little ones!