Category: Our Life

How I Do Laundry for Our Family of 5

Posted on by Lauren Lane

The truth is, I don’t mind the actual doing of laundry. When I have the time, I don’t mind the sorting and the folding. It’s the putting away laundry that’s the particularly icky part of this chore. And because I don’t mind laundry…and I would never trust my husband to do my or the kids’ laundry (hello….we’d end up with stains on everything because he’d never check them before throwing them into the wash)…I’m Chief Laundry Attendant.

Let me tell you, though, something in the laundry universe shifted when we went from a four person family to a five person family. It started to feel like a MASSIVE undertaking each week. And pile on that certain kids needing certain uniforms washed by certain days…you sports parents know what I’m talking about…and I was DONE. And annoyed.

So I switched up how I do laundry, annnnnd, I’m back to really kind of liking laundry day now.

I’m going to take you back, though. Back to the way I used to laundry. I designated one day every other week as laundry day. It usually took me realistically two days to get through, but I did EVERYONE’s laundry at the same time.

The pendulum shifted with that fifth kid, though. And the folding of clothes and getting all five people’s clothes back to the right spot became too much. It was like a part-time job for two days straight.

So, I changed what I was doing over the past six months. And now, I do laundry by person.

Adults get their laundry done every other week. Nathan has a day of laundry. Everything gets sorted, washed, and folded for him to put away.

I get a day of just my laundry. Sort, wash, fold, and put away.

And then there’s one day each week that I do all of the kids laundry together. Does it result in more loads of laundry? Maybe. But it makes the pieces much more manageable.

Laundering of linens and bath towels happens every other week, and the off weeks of adult laundry.

And that, friends, has truly made a difference in my sanity and enjoyment.

You didn’t even realize you could enjoy a whole post about laundry, did you?

What’s Up Wednesday {09.27.23}

Posted on by Lauren Lane

Happy WUW post. You guys know I love this post. A little bit of everything from our life lately.

As always, I’m linking up with Shay and Sheaffer to share with you what’s going on in our life!

1: WHAT WE’RE EATING THIS WEEK: It’s still pretty hot here, so I haven’t switched over to more fall and winter type dishes. We’re eating grilled chicken, sausage pot pie, and homemade carnitas burrito bowls this week.

2: WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT:

Lately, the videos of Jonathan popping up on my phone from a year ago have me marveling at how much has changed for him in a year.

He was still a big talker even last year, but his language has just exploded in the past year.

Remembering the way their little voices used to sound is the hardest part for me to keep in my memories. You can see them physically grow, as they grow out of clothes. You see their face shape changing and their hair. But their voice…that’s just harder to remember. And I’m endlessly thankful for the videos I took of these boys. And reminded to keep recording them now!

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Our Fall 2023 Bucket List

Posted on by Lauren Lane

If you missed my posts last week, yesterday was my big “back to work” day. And in the scope of things, I’m feeling pretty good. Focusing instead on all of the fun things we want to do coming up, and how lucky we are that Aidan’s grandparents are helping to take care of him for a few weeks here while we wait for a spot to open up at our daycare.

I sat down with Harrison on Friday while he was out of school, and we made and decorated our Fall Bucket List for this year. And Jonathan later approved it. 🙂

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Let’s Look…At Our Evening Routine

Posted on by Lauren Lane

If there is any time of day that is the biggest $h!t show of the day around the Lane house, it’s the evening. It feels like constant chaos to get kids (and adults) fed, food put away, clean up the kitchen, bathed, and down for bed.

Which has to explain why I kept forgetting in this whirlwind of our “evening routine” to take any pictures document what we usually do. It’s just survival, folks. Pure survival. And hoping that my children aren’t hangry when they come home from school…which also happens to coincide with my only hangriness…WHILE trying to cook dinner. And waffling between just letting them have the dang snack so they stop whining and wanting them to actually eat the meal I’m making. But I digress…

Here we go…our evening routine, lately…

Aidan takes a catnap around 4:00 – so I like to think of our evening starting then.

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What’s Up Wednesday {08.30.23}

Posted on by Lauren Lane

This WUW post feels like no time at all has passed since my July one. Another month gone in the blink of an eye. We are in full fall activities mode here. All of the things have started, the boys are loving their new classrooms, and I’m sharing a bit of what we’ve been up to this month!

As always, I’m linking up with Shay and Sheaffer to share with you what’s going on in our life!

1: WHAT WE’RE EATING THIS WEEK: We had a Lane family favorite, Chicken Taquitos, on Sunday. Monday we had buffalo chicken wraps, and last night was Crockpot Italian Beef sandwiches. We’ll do leftovers the rest of the week!

2: WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT:

I’m a couple of weeks out from going back to work. And I can just hardly believe that five months has already gone since our little Aidan’s birth.

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Young, Wild, & THREE!

Posted on by Lauren Lane

First off, I wanted to say THANK YOU! for all of the advice and experience you shared on my Friday post with regards to all of my kitchen decisions! Truly so helpful to hear what has and hasn’t worked for you all!

Today, I wanted to share Jonathan’s birthday party with you all!

We celebrated Jonathan and Cousin Holden’s third birthdays with an amazing and fun Young, Wild, and THREE party!

I designed the invitations using Canva…

And we decided on an All-American boy themed party!

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Let’s Look…At My Worst Habits

Posted on by Lauren Lane

It’s been months since I’ve written a Let’s Look post. And last week got sidetracked and busy, and I just struggled to find time to sit down and write. So, it’s a new week. New week, new me! If you’re new to these parts of the interwebs, this series is a little link up hosted by Shay and Erika to share a look into an aspect of our lives. And today’s topic is our worst habits.

I tend to be a pretty sensitive person. I over-analyze situations, tones of voice. I notice when small things have been moved from the position I put them in previously. I pick up on people’s idiosyncrasies pretty quickly. And all of those things that can sometimes be such wonderful traits, can also be a curse…so let’s settle in for a tour of some of my worst habits…

I overfill the trash can…regularly. In our house, Nathan takes out the kitchen trash. It’s one of those few things in life that I rarely do, even if it’s needed. I will wait for him to take it out. I should also probably wait to put more things into an overflowing trash can, but I don’t. I just keep filling it up. And then there are usually curse words and grumbles when Nathan comes home and takes it out.

I will keep my 5am alarm on even if I know I’m not going to get up and work out in the morning. To be fair, Nathan never turns off his 6:15 alarm even though I’ve never seen him wake up at this time.

I lose my phone multiple times a day, and have to ping it with my watch to figure out where I left in the house…or the garage…or the garden.

I never remember to have a snack on me at all times. I suffer from what many people call ‘hanger.’ It comes on suddenly, and like a tidal wave. One minute I’m fine, the next I will bit your head off over the most dumb thing and turn it into an argument.

And I still after all of this time of knowing that low blood sugar does this to me, I still forget to carry a granola bar on me at all times.

I have a chronic sniff from post-nasal drip that never seems to go away. Should I really have this looked at? Probably. I don’t even notice it anymore, except when I hear myself on videos. Like seriously, lady. Sniffing every couple of minutes.

I can not do painted nails. I will sit and pick at them until I completely take them all off. And then I don’t pick the nail polish off and throw it in the trash, I will leave it sitting on the coffee table for a week until I finally pick it up.

I will gladly help pick off your peeling skin from a sunburn. Nothing thrills me more than peeling off dead skin. I find it so completely satisfying.

I’m addicted to chapstick. I literally cannot live without having a chapstick in every room of the house, in every purse, and in my car. I need my lips to be coated with the original chapstick at all times.

This resonates deeply with me…

I’m sure there are others…let’s just not ask Nathan. 😆. I can’t wait to read through the links to see what others consider their worst habits!

What’s Up Wednesday {07.26.23}

Posted on by Lauren Lane

It’s time for a little monthly roundup. I’m typing away while Aidan is snoozing at naptime. I thought we were over the naptime struggle a few weeks ago, but he surprised me by going back to protesting pretty much all naps starting when we were in South Dakota. You’d think that eventually he would just wear himself out! But he’s a stubborn little one.

As always, I’m linking up with Shay and Sheaffer to share with you what’s going on in our life!

1: WHAT WE’RE EATING THIS WEEK: I made Half Baked Harvest’s Butter Chicken last night. This is the second time I’ve made it, and although I seem to be on streak of not cooking my onions enough, I think it’s a keeper of a recipe. We’re doing cobb salads tonight, and then to be determined for the rest of the week!

2: WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT:

The cooler weather in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The high humidity and 100+ degree heat has me missing our week in the Hills.

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A Day in My Life on Maternity Leave

Posted on by Lauren Lane

What do you do all day while you’re on leave?! Here’s a little peak into a typical day on maternity leave for me.

I woke up early to get an at-home bar workout in before the kids were up.

Put a pork butt in the crockpot to make carnitas for dinner that evening…

At 7am, I wake up Aidan and feed him while the little boys get up and eat breakfast with Nathan.

FEED ME, MOM! Says Aidan.

And Jonathan usually comes in to say hi to me when he wakes up each morning while I feed Aidan.

After Aidan’s first feeding is done, I check in on the boys downstairs eating breakfast.

And then when they finish breakfast, they help unload the dishwasher.

Then it’s time to head upstairs and get dressed and brush their teeth for school. When they’re dressed and responsibilities are done, they get some iPad time waiting for Nathan to finish getting ready for work and to drop them off at daycare.

After the big boys leave, Aidan and I have tummy time and play time before his first nap of the day.

Hates tummy time. Loves being on his back time…

At 8:30, he lays down for his first nap, and I work through some items on my to-do list.

This particular morning included ordering groceries for pick-up later in the day.

Then making a batch of elderberry syrup, which the boys have every morning with breakfast as an immunity boost.

And installing/unpacking items I had ordered from Amazon Prime day…like these water leak detection alarms…

Aidan’s up from nap at 10 and ready to be fed again.

He does some playing on his playmat, while I fold laundry…

I heat up some lunch for myself, and eat while playing with Aidan.

And round out my meal with some lactation cookies…because I care deeply for Aidan’s milk supply. :). And they’re just tasty.

Check in on my big kids at school through their daycare app to see what they’ve been up to today.

I try to get out of the house with Aidan at least once a day. He does better with this if it’s during one of his nap times, so we head out for his second nap of the day to run some errands. This particular day, I was shopping for some organization bins from Home Goods, which shockingly already had Halloween decor out…

And then I was on the hunt for bubble wands as party favors for Jonathan’s upcoming birthday party.

Then it was home and time for another Aidan feeding! After he ate, I worked on organizing our freezer with my new bins

Chopped up some vegetables I was using for dinner that evening, and then hopped in the shower for a quick rinse before going to pick up the boys from daycare with baby Aidan.

Did one last check on pictures from the boys’ school day…

Then Aidan and I headed to pick up the boys from school. When we got back home, I made the last of the items we needed for dinner that night…

We ate dinner together as a family, and then moved on to baths for the boys. I do Aidan’s bath while Nathan handles bath for the big boys.

One last feeding for Aidan for the day…

Then he goes down for night-night. And I put Jonathan and Harrison down for bed with a story and prayer.

After the boys go down, I watched a little TV and then turned in myself and went to bed at 9:00.