There is Still Good

Yesterday was one heck of a day. Lots going on that is simply out of my control, lots of unknown ahead. In an attempt for some sort of productive normalcy, I packed up both kids and headed off to run errands at Target- our favorite little escape from the house. Plus, I have gift cards so that helps me feel like I'm being resourceful.

We checked off our shopping list, Eli holding on to the back of the shopping cart and Addie snoozing peacefully in her car seat in the cart. Those things take up basically the entire cart, so I was shoving all of my items around her seat and beneath the cart- moms, you know what I'm saying. 

We got to the check out area and all of the self checkouts were taken. Say what you want about them, but we usually use them because Eli loves scanning the items, and I like being able to see totals for what I'm buying. As luck would have it, they were full, so we were ushered over to a lady working the checkout and returns side. As she scanned the items, I started to worry about how late we were going to be home for Eli's nap. I vaguely remember her saying the total as I had her scan my Target Wallet and started handing over gift cards. It seemed a little high, but we were under a time crunch. 

We got back to the car and I got the bags into the trunk, buckled Eli in, and snapped Addie in. Two kid probs. I then decided to open up my wallet and check the receipt, only to see that I had been charged an extra $20 because she had rung up my trash bags three times. Annoyed, I got all of my bags, Addie, and Eli back out and into a cart, and went in to get my money back. 

The cashier (a new one this time) was kind, but had some computer problems as she tried to get me my merchandise card. Now we were really going to be late for Eli's nap time- sigh. I quickly grabbed the card and shoved it in my wallet, then threw it into the cart next to Addie and pushed the kids back out to our car.

Twenty minutes later, we were home and unloaded. I read Eli a couple of books and then he was down for his nap. Addie was snoozing in the car seat, and I had just been cleared at my six week appointment, so I decided it was the day to run my first mile postpartum down on the treadmill. Woof. Wasn't going to be easy. 

While I was running and attempting to catch up on This is Us, I kept getting a missed call from St. Joseph. I'd been getting a lot of random spammy calls lately, so I didn't answer. (Plus, I was out of breath and in no shape to talk.) I even answered once, and before they could speak, I yelled at the stranger to, "Stop calling me," which is both humorous and embarrassing now. Remember- spammy calls all day. Finally, I finished my mile and looked at the voicemail they'd left me. A woman had found my wallet in the cart at Target and grabbed it to give it back to me since I hadn't answered. I didn't even know it was missing. 

I quickly called her back, apologized, and thanked her profusely. Apparently she'd found my phone number by calling the number on my MSTA card and letting them know that she had found my wallet. They gave her my number- and boy am I glad they did. She gave me her address to come pick it up.

After Aaron got home and I took a quick shower, I drove to her house to get my wallet- not a single thing missing or disturbed. I felt like a crazy person with major mom brain, a little embarrassed, and annoyed at my failure to pay attention to the details. But mainly, I felt grateful. Thankful that there are still good people in this world. Grateful for Pauline and her kindness. Grateful that I didn't have to go through the trouble of replacing ids and credit cards and the huge headache that could have been. 

There is still good. Even when things aren't always easy, and when we are inundated with the bad- day in and day out- there is still good. Maybe you needed that reminder today. I know I did. 

Currently,

Kelsie

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January Recap

And just like that, February is here! I know that I've seen a million memes floating around about how the month of January seemed like an entire year, but since I'm home on maternity leave I feel like I have a different concept of time right now. It seems like it was a slow month, but at the same it seems like time is flying when I look at my kiddos (plural- what!?!). Here's what we were up to this January! 

My Word of the Year

Because our baby girl decided to come ten days early, I didn't have much time to blog this month. Other than Addie's Birth Story, my only other January post was sharing my word of the year for 2020. I chose this word for a variety of reasons, and I'm already having to put my money where my mouth is in so many ways. I'm excited to see all that this year brings!

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I've found that I really enjoy having a "word of the year" to tie back to: it grounds me, gives me a way to track my goals, and can encompass a variety of my resolutions or hopes. In 2018, I chose cultivate, which ended up being way more applicable than I would've ever guessed. Last year, I chose listen, which was also very very fitting- although admittedly I didn't master it and am still a work in progress. 😬 It definitely tied in a TON to all that we had going with @thebrimkc . And now, in 2020, we look ahead to a year brimming with lots of unknown possibilities and hopes. Which leads to my word for this year: one that certainly is relevant and challenging in so many ways. Click @currentlykelsie and the #linkinbio👆 to check it out. What’s your word of the year? 🎉 #livinglifefull

A post shared by Kelsie Kleinmeyer | Blogger (@currentlykelsie) on Jan 6, 2020 at 6:18am PST

Addie's One Month Recap

In case you missed it, our Addie girl joined the world on January 9th, 2020, and I can hardly believe she is already a month old! (You can read her birth story here!) She is the sweetest gift and biggest blessing, and we are settling in to our life as a family of four. Addie was 7 lbs 14 oz and was 21 inches long at birth, but she has already been growing at a steady pace, weighing in at 9 lbs 14 oz! Pretty crazy, as Eli was always on the smaller size and this little lady sure isn't wasting any time. Girl can eat!

We did put Addie in her crib on the first night home, just like we did with Eli, so that has been going fairly well. At this point, it's up for grabs as to how well she'll do each night. We had a night where she decided not to sleep from 10:30pm to 3:00 am, which was miserable. I think she was overtired, but it also put me into gear a bit as far as being a bit more consistent with swaddling, naps, and working to establish some routines as she ages a bit. Last night she went from 9:45 pm- 12:30 am, and then again from 1:30- 6:00 am, which gave me my longest stretch so far!

Addie has been to church and a few different restaurants, the doctor's office, and to visit friends and family. She seems to enjoy napping, whether it's on her lounger, in her crib, or in the car. Thankfully she is riding well in the car (and almost always falling asleep). She seems to be settling into a loose Babywise 3 hour eat, wake, sleep cycle, which Mama is happy about! She has taken bottles fine so far, which I'm hoping continues, as a fluid transition from nursing to pumped bottle-feeding to a pacifier is key for us, especially since I will have to go back to work in mid-April to finish out the school year.

We took our newborn photos a couple of weeks ago, and I'm excited to have them soon! Addie watched the Chiefs win the Superbowl, hung out with her Grandmas, met lots of family, and witnessed her first two Missouri snow storms in her short month of life. She's getting lots of good sibling time in with Big Brother Eli, who refers to her as "my baby". She's not a huge fan of the bathtub, but is warming up to it. Mommy and Daddy are looking forward to our Valentine's Date out, but we sure do love our sweet little lady!


Otherwise, this month was all about settling into life as a mama of two (more thoughts on that later). I only worked for three days before having Addie, so it's weird that I haven't worked much of my full time job at all since December 20th. That being said, I'll be back to work on April 13th to finish out the school year, but I'm certainly in no hurry for that time to be here. I'm looking forward to a great rest of maternity leave, and of this month- which started off with our Kansas City Chiefs winning the SuperBowl, so it's already off to a fabulous start! Happy February!

Currently,
Kelsie

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How to Pick the Best Flooring for Your Home

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If you're super indecisive, like me, you'll already give a lot of consideration into almost everything in life- especially home projects. There is so much to choose- paint colors (which I may have had lots of personal struggles with), wall decor, curtains and more. If you're doing a bigger home renovation project, one thing you may overlook would be flooring. Flooring makes a big difference in how a room looks and feels, which can make or break the atmosphere of the house at large. That's why it’s important to do some research around the right types of flooring for your home. Here are a few things to think about when choosing floors that you'll love! 

 Floating Timber

In industry terms, floating floors are a system of flooring that can be installed directly over an existing floor. This will lift the height of your floor, but it makes installation super easy and carefree. Don’t go prying up old floorboards or getting the jackhammer into the tiles just yet: consider slapping these down right over the surface of your current floor instead!

Another reason these floors are a great choice is that they look beautiful. They tend to retain heat rather than lose it, which is friendly for your feet, making them great for winter or those places that get a little chilly.

Timbers are relatively easy to keep clean, requiring little more than the occasional sweep and light mopping, but they’ll show dust if you choose a range that has dark tones. If you damage your floor, it's relatively easy to replace the damaged units by prying them up and swapping them for new ones – keep a few handy just in case. 

Tiles

If you enjoy a cool, hard surface underfoot or you live in a fairly hot climate, tiles are a great option for you! They expel heat really quickly, meaning your floor will remain nice and cool to the touch at most times of the year. On the flipside, you may want to steer clear of these bad boys if you live in a chilly climate: they’ll really make your toes curl if you have to get up in the dead of night in the middle of winter to use the bathroom!

Another reason that tiles are a strong fan favorite is that they’re easy to maintain and are highly durable. A quick vacuum and mop and your tiles will shine like new. Just make sure you opt for a more neutral color on the grey-white spectrum with low-key patterns or veins, because flat dark colors generally show up more dust and aren’t all that pleasing to the eye.

Finally, tiles are reasonably priced and won’t lead to a budget blowout should you choose to invest in them. One last piece of advice: it’s better to install tiles in homes where the walls are soft and insulated because tiles and hard walls together may create an echo chamber that will annoy the heck out of you!

Vinyl Planks or Rolls

Vinyl planks are a softer surface than tiles, meaning they’ll be kinder on your feet and back. Due to this feature, they're also warmer than tiles, but not as warm as floorboards. Their cool surface makes them highly suitable for a variety of climates. Thanks to modern flooring technologies, vinyl planks are now available in a huge range of colors, designs, and types, including waterproof planks.

Waterproof planks are amazing because they mean you can extend the floor from living spaces into laundries and kitchens (although I'd advise against venturing into the bathroom!) creating a look of uniformity throughout most of your home.

If vinyl planks are too expensive for you, or you’re operating on a budget, you can always opt for vinyl on a roll. This is the more cost-effective option, and you can install it yourself with a little hard work and a competent DIY approach, meaning you’ll also save money on installation costs. And who doesn't love that? 

Vinyl planks look fantastic in the right indoor environment, but vinyl on a roll is a little uninspiring. It isn’t the most visually pleasing option on the market, so you may want to save it for projects where you’re limited by a budget, like fitting out a rental property. Otherwise, think about relegating it to playrooms and basements where kids can play on it to their heart's’ content.

Carpet

There is nothing better than sinking your feet into a nice, lush carpet on a cold winter’s night. And honestly, our house could probably use an overall on carpet when we can budget for it. Carpet's main attraction is that it's the softest and most comfortable surface to have under your feet, and it’ll keep your toesies nice and toasty throughout the year.

However, you should keep in mind that carpets are notorious for harbouring microscopic bugs and nasties that can cause allergens, they’re vulnerable to stains and marks, and it’s much harder to clean them should you happen to spill something on them or if you have a messy pet or child.

Carpets come in a range of qualities and designs, which can drive up prices depending on the type that you’re after. This means you’ll want to ask yourself if it’s worth investing in upmarket carpets such as Godfrey Hirst, Quest Carpets, Victoria Carpets, and more.

Finally…

At the end of the day, you’ll probably want to pick a combination of floors to suit the variety of rooms in your home. This is because the flooring that suits one space, such as the bedroom, may not necessarily suit another, such as the bathroom. We love tile in the bathroom and carpet in our bedrooms.

As you hunt down the right floors for your home renovation project, keep in mind your budget, the style that you’re after, as well as useability and durability: you don’t want to pick a floor that is impractical and clashes with the overall design of the rest of your home. Good luck in finding the right floors for your renos!

Currently,

Kelsie

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