Looking back at the entire experience, it is all so surreal and feels like a big giant dream...
Yep, as you may have heard, the Jones family was on HGTV this past Saturday, and in case you missed, it, you can view it online here.
I have to start out by thanking you all. Above and beyond the fact that you are already the sweetest folks on earth, it is actually because of YOU that I even knew about the show. Actually backing up a bit, I knew nothing of the show. But I received multiple emails from you fine friends, with a link to the HGTV website because they were searching for America's cleanest, most organized people. I used to search the HGTV website frequently in dreams of finding a show to score a makeover on, but I always left the site feeling disappointed since most shows took place in very specific regions of the country. I stopped checking after awhile...
So I had no idea of the post they had on their site, and have you all to thank for giving me the heads up and push I needed to submit. And let me just put it out there, I was hesitant. I mean, it's HGTV! That's a pretty big deal. And I am just a small town gal who has a love for organizing. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that nothing would be lost for trying, and I would regret it if I didn't do it. So I popped over a note with some photos to the email address listed on the web, and went on with my day.
I didn't really think about it much. The chances of little ol' me getting selected out of a bazillion amazing and talented individuals was slim... a month or two went by and then I received a note from HGTV letting me know they were interested in chatting about the show. Oh. My. Goodness! My heart raced and I may have freaked out just a little... calling my husband, bestest friend and parents for that moral support I suddenly felt I needed. Was this all for real?!
And it was! I chatted with HGTV and they were so incredibly fantastic. The only stipulation I was given was to keep the entire thing quiet. Not an easy task for Miss Loves to Over-Share Jones! I wanted to tell you all SO badly. We were planning a family getaway, renovating our lower level, celebrating our ten year anniversary with a vow renewal and now an HGTV crew was joining us in our home, all within a few days of one another. I would never in a second complain about the sleepless nights, the scrubbing and cleaning and the rush to get project after project done, because I couldn't be more fortunate for the blessings in my life. I was on cloud nine and in awe that this is my life. And the hardest part was not telling all of you, my favorite peeps, what was going on.
Within a few weeks of going back and forth with HGTV, I was filled in on the title of the show. Clean Freaks. Oh boy. They were looking for America's tidiest most organized people. Talk about PRESSURE! Sure, I have a weird love of cleaning and organizing but could I live up to the hype of the show? Our house is definitely "lived" in, it's common you will find dings in the wall, toys on the floor, puppy nose prints on the patio door and messy chaos happening while a home project is taking place... but I guess our organizing systems were enough to qualify us for the incredible experience!
And when I say projects galore, I am not joking. We instantly had a goal of trying to finish the basement before the big HGTV day, and had such a great team of family members helping us install flooring, paint, install trim, landscape and finish miscellaneous projects. And although almost a year later we still have some trimming and painting to do, it was OK that we didn't get it done in time for the show. It simply reminded us how amazing and helpful our family is and that so many of the projects we complete are often a special thanks to them.
So... the hubs and I renewed our vows on July 16th...
And a week later, this fabulous crew landed in our front yard!
Now, you would think that being a blogger, I would know by now {or then}, to be snapping photos and documenting every minute of the day. Queue the whomp whomp sound. My brain was clearly clouded by the events going on around me... or the heat! Oh, it was an awful hot and humid day... not good for the hair!
Although I don't have a ton of photos about the step by step process, I have it engraved in my brain forever. It is pretty hard to forget something so incredible.
Filming started bright and early and wrapped up by late afternoon, and the cameras were running majority of the time. That is A LOT of footage. And wait for it, this was my very first time on camera. I hadn't even recorded my Nate Berkus stint or my first video blog yet. So I had no idea what to expect, and no clue what to do. If that doesn't put butterflies in your tummy, I don't know what will!
That didn't seem to impact the crew though. They were FABULOUS. They knew just what to do to make us feel comfortable {as comfortable as you can with lights and microphones and cameras in your face}, and Sabrina had me giggling majority of the day. Did you see, I got to grocery shop with Sabrina Soto! How cool is that? And the part you didn't get to see is that we actually worked on a little craft project together too. Sigh... it was amazing.
I couldn't believe how quick it all went. The day flew by! And you may be wondering if any of it is scripted? Nope! Sabrina was so amazing at improving everything. She always knew just what to say and when, and her personality really shines on camera. She is an absolute inspiration.
So how did the kids do with a whole slew of strangers in our home? Remarkably well! I was nervous that something would go down hill, and fast. Three little boys being cooped up and "quiet" all day for the cameras, but they did SO very good. Our oldest, Preston, was most shy in front of the camera, our middle one, Peyton, really seemed to love it and the youngest, Parker, had moments of loving it and avoiding it. It was fun to see how they reacted to the whole situation and who the potential acting stars of the family will be!
On the left you can see the camera guy taking pans of the closet office and to the right is the monitor that is watched as they film. It was really neat being behind the scenes and finding out how all of my favorite HGTV shows are created, and then seeing the final result pulled together for the show.
At the end of the day, I got my act together just in time to ask Sabrina for a couple of shots with the family. Sweet as she is, she said yes!
After the crew drove off, so did we. We headed up north to enjoy a nice long weekend away and unwind from all of the happenings of the month. It was nice to unplug and reflect and take in everything that had just happened. And trust me, the hubs and I kept pinching ourselves to make sure it wasn't all some sort of dream....
Here were some of my favorite moments and clips I quickly smashed together from the show:
As I watched the segment on TV, I sat there and wondered how I got so lucky? Lucky to be living my dream daily. Lucky to have the sweetest kidlets, most supporting husband and an extended family that is like no other. Lucky to have readers that push me to do things I may not have considered otherwise. It was a really happy moment for me. And didn't the other "Clean Freaks" completely amaze you? They were all so wonderful in so many ways, I was in the best of company that night!
I don't think I can say it enough, but THANK YOU again. I started up this blog two years ago with the goal of enjoying a side hobby, sharing what I love and hopefully inspiring someone along the way. I had no idea that something so fun could turn into a full time gig, and that I would be blessed with so many incredible opportunities along the way.
Meet Izzy. Our 9 wk old lady labradoodle. Sweetest. Pup. Ever. More pics over on the family blog. And seriously, who doesn't love looking at cute puppy pics?
Our coffee table recently got a new accessory that I couldn't be more smitten with...
A closer look at what I am hinting at?
So now let me explain.
I borrowed an idea I actually got from Peyton's brilliant teacher. Seriously, one of my most favorite ideas. Especially because I am always so sentimental. And even if you are not a mushy gooshy like me, this idea may still be genius enough to be adapted to your life anyway.
Each Friday, Peyton brings home a notebook. Inside the notebook is a back-and-forth journal/letter writing to mom and dad. He writes us a letter with his current thoughts {or even just about his day and what they did}, then we write back. Each week we are creating a notebook of memories, feelings and love. Seriously, fantastic right?!
Why wouldn't I elaborate on that idea for our family?
Of course, any notebook or journal would work perfectly for this idea. It doesn't have to be pretty or fancy pants, but I found the most incredible coupon code on one of my favorite blogs {I bet if you dig, you might still find it}, that allowed me to order two customized/personalized journals for free, plus the cost of shipping. Um, yes please and THANK YOU!
I ordered them through Paper Coterie and was left extremely impressed with the quality of the journals {and no, they don't even know I am mentioning them, just sharing my personal opinion}. The journals arrived quickly and wrapped pretty and they even sent a special little gift. Gotta love great service like that! I am so excited that I now have two new coffee table books that will be filled with all of our thoughts and letters to one another!
Yes, I did say two. I had one book created for our boys:
Following the same theme we have been doing with Peyton, the plan is to write to each boy in here, and even encourage them to write to one another. It's also a place for me to jot down favorite memories with them, or the funny things they say and do. I am going to challenge us to fill up the book, and maybe do one annually depending on how successful it is!
The other book is for the hubs and I...
Same philosophy, and I am pretty sure B just lost his man card.
I have a bit of a hopeless romantic heart in me so hopefully this will be a way we can share our lovey dove feelings with one another. And keep them and cherish them and then have our kids read them to their kids some day {meaning it will stay PG}. Hopefully this won't be a giant epic fail...
So there you have it. Our new plan to organize our family fun thoughts and memories!
Anyone else do something similar? How is it going? Other than photographs, what other creative ways do you have to keep track of your memories? Anyone else snag a wonderful idea from an unexpected place?
I am always tweaking things here and there on the blog. You may notice small graphic updates or minor layout changes from time to time, most of the major changes like the header, background and hair color, were made awhile back and all listed here.
However, when I first shared with you that I was going to be making some major changes around here, I also let you know that I was going to start including my family a bit more...
Enter that whomp whomp sound right here. Bad Jen.
And I know some of you are OK with that because you want to come here for an organizing tip and to move on. Others were excited to get to know me and my family more because sometimes a blog is more fun to read and more relatable when you feel like you know the writer for realz.
The matter of the fact was, that I was having a hard time figuring out the best way to incorporate our family life more into this blog. It's so driven towards all things family, home and life with a giant emphasis on organizing, that pictures of us playing at the park last weekend seem quite out of place. And I am a little insanely obsessed with my clan so I could easily let that obsession take over this space. It's a fine line.
So I decided to take back our family blog. I am popping a link up on the sidebar and will share a link with you from time to time when I update. That way I can keep this blog the way it has been for the last couple of months years, which is more home and project related. It seemed like the best way for me to marry the two. That way, those that want to know what we ate for breakfast or something comical that my kids spurt out of their mouths, can know, and those that don't really care... don't have too! Win win right?
And my favorite part is that I get to start blogging about both passions again. I used to run my family blog but I let my time for this one take over. I wasn't updating it anymore. I wasn't focusing on my love for photography and capturing our daily moments. I decided enough was enough. I was missing it and I LOVE blogging about both and so I should! So it got a little facelift and will be updated much more frequently. Sweetness!
The verdict is that the afternoon couldn't have gone longer. The minutes couldn't have gone slower. The feeling of not knowing how they were all doing was torturous and having them all away for the first time was the oddest feeling....
Earlier I shared how our first day of school went, and thank you all for your kind comments! Of course I knew they were going to be OK, but it's one of those unexplained feelings of "the unknown" that eats at you until... well... until you know!
Peyton's bus rolled up first. Right on time! And he came running up with smiles and a great note from his teacher mentioning that he had a GREAT first day!
First sigh of relief.
We hung out and chatted about his day for the next 20 minutes until the next bus rolled up, again right on time!
When I asked Preston how his first day of middle school went, all I got was, "It was kinda boring, we didn't even learn anything new today." Wow, not quite the answer I was expecting. I mean seriously, it's middle school and that's all he has to say?! Talk about making me giggle!
I knew it would only be a couple more minutes tops until my little Mr. Parker would be coming off of his bus with what I was hoping would be giant grins of happiness and joy. But minutes passed and he still wasn't home. More minutes. I started calling people. Getting worried. I had a feeling that it was just first day adjusting, but when he left the way he did, that 15 minutes of extra waiting felt like hours. The boys and I were stalking the end of the driveway...
Then, the roar of his bus! Wahoo! Finally!!
And? Guess what?
He was JUST fine!
Of course I had all sorts of questions for him all about his day and how the bus ride went and everything in-between. He said he didn't want to get off of the bus at school, but he finally did and ended up having a really fun day. And when I asked if he would feel good about getting on the bus next time, I got a, "maybe".
Thanks all for following along with us during our day of firsts! We are excited for all of the fun that the new school year will bring!
Well, if you saw the title, it was a day of firsts for the Jones family. More specifically, the first day of school!
Today I get to blog real time. Like, so real time that I JUST sent Parker off on the bus about 27 minutes ago, and my big elephant tears are finally starting to dry up enough to type...
Yesterday we started off by packing up all of the kid's backpacks with all of their school supplies. What does this look like when there are three kids going to school? Some may already know, but for those who don't, it looked like this:
We ran down each of their lists, used a Sharpie and labeled each item, tossed it into their backpacks, and went to their school's open house to unload it all! Here is a special "Hello" to the mom's I ran into yesterday who read the blog!
This is Preston's first year with a locker, since my oldest is now off to Middle School! Oh sigh....
I can't wait to help him pimp that space out! Seriously, I see a trip to the Container Store in the near future for all sorts of shelving, bins and caddies..... It is my job to be somewhat embarrassing right?
Next we went to the elementary school to Peyton's second grade class where we got to meet his teacher and unload his goodies into his desk:
As you can see, someone is missing a front tooth. This is very recent news. Just in time for the first day of school!
And last but certainly not least, off to the 4K classroom where Parker would have his very first school experience!
How cool is it that he got to craft during open house? Loved that!
Last night we were grateful for our newly implemented bedtime routine and lunch bin, along with our old clothing plan routine as well. All of those steps kept the morning running as smoothly as possible...
All of our routines will start shifting and changing now that school is back in session. This morning, Parker slept in a bit while the other two went off to school first.
This was a breeze for them. They are pros at school mornings and running off to the bus. The only difference is this year, they are heading off on separate buses, but that didn't seem to affect them nearly as much as "mama sap".....
Once they were off, I went in to wake my little sleeping bug, and we had breakfast together, gave him a tubbie, got dressed, read a story and watched some cartoons... I even got to have lunch with him; I just love the conversations we have!
Then it was time. Time for him to be ready and watch for the bus... his very first ride on the bus for his very first day of school. Who knew it would be so hard? And of course, I had to hold it together so he would be excited. Who knew that would be so hard?
We snapped smiley happy pictures... all the way up until the bus pulled up!
He was so excited!
That's when the bus did pull up. And then it was a different story. Oh boy.
"Mama, carry me on the bus please." So I did.
I tried to set him down into the seat, but it seemed as though he was stuck to me...
The bus driver was looking at her watch.... schedule to keep you know...
Big sad eyes gazing up at me. Tears forming. A look of intense fear. "OK mom, he will be just fine, first day is always the hardest" I hear the bus driver say.
I gave him a hug and kiss and assured him it would all be OK, he gave me a smidge of a believing smile and off he went.
Ugh. What words do I have for that moment? How many other mom's have been there? Had to go through that? I promise you, the next three hours can't go fast enough until that bus pulls back up and he comes running off of it into my arms!! I know he will be OK. I know the others were always OK.
And to top it, it's the first time they have all left me. I am empty nesting already. I can't imagine what it will be like when college days roll around!
I will be back later with an update when they arrive home. I am sure it will be a thumbs up report!
So who has kidlets starting school today as well? How have your morning routines been going? Who wants a morning routine printable to go along with the bedtime routine? How can I say no to my favorite blog peeps? Feel free to leave a comment with items you would like to see included on the morning routine printable, I can't accommodate them all, but will do my best to make it universal!
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kalahari® Resorts for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
All week I have been posting about how we have started to organize to get ready for back to school {so far I have posted about our sleep routine plan and lunch station implementation}. And no worries, I have so much more in store on the subject itself, but today, I wanted to share one more thing that we like to do every year when the summer is winding down, and that is take a last minute getaway!
I can't believe it's already time to think about spending our last few days of summer vacation hopping away to a place full of insane amounts of fun! Our summer FLEW by in a heartbeat, and before I know it, all the kids will be stepping up onto different buses each day to head off to school. I am going to miss them all like crazy, which is why it's so important for us to take a moment and have some pure family time away!
This isn't a first time for us, we go every single March for spring break as well, and we couldn't think of a more fun way to wrap up our summer.
Every time we go, we end up finding more reason's to love it there... of course, the water park is insanely amazing!! It has over 500,000 gallons of water fun including a lazy river, big slides and the most perfect place for the little ones to play their day away!
Not to mention that they have a kid's {and adult} indoor theme park play paradise!
It has everything from golf to bowling to go karts!
Even a giant ferris wheel!! That's one of the kid's favorite things!
How could we not pick this place as our end of summer retreat! So much fun to be had, we can't wait to get there!
Right now since summer is coming to an end, the Dells Kalahari is offering up some great promotions, which makes it that much easier to take the kids on a fun last minute end of summer trip!!
So stay tuned, next week I will share all of the pics from our fun little getaway and guess what?! There will be a great giveaway involved as well!!
I also gotta know, does anyone else take a vacation to wrap up the summer? Where are your favorite vacation destinations before heading back into the school routine?
