A Gallery Wall for Under $50 with Ikea and Shutterfly!

Our house is still in shambles after moving.  I feel like it's actually messier.

And yes, I know we moved 3 months ago but in that time frame we also had a small child and I'm lucky to find time to shower with two children, never mind organize. I do make plenty of time to look for home improvement and home decor ideas on Pinterest.

Now, I have unpacked.  And organized but I'm not loving it. And if this is my forever home, I should love it, right?

I know there are a few furniture pieces I want to switch out before I hang things in the living room but I knew this hallway wall that goes to the bedrooms was just perfect for a DIY wall art treament. After looking at tons of decorating ideas, I decided it would be the perfect spot for all of our favorite family pictures. 

It's just blank and empty and needs some love.
It's practically begging to be a gallery wall, right?

At our most recent Ikea trip, we grabbed a handful 15 frames, not all the same.  We wanted to be able to add more in later even if one particular frame was no longer available.

The fifteen picture frames from Ikea rang in at a very do-able $32, rather than the $5-$12 per frame at other  retailers. The frames we picked up included the RIBBA, the HAVERDAL, and the NYTTJA.

Next was ordering images from Shutterfly. I literally order about 100 every other month so I have no idea how I pared it down! The total for the 12 images (Sounds like I'm missing 3... hold on...) plus shipping was less than $5.

To break up just pictures of our family, I went deep into the boxes of unpacked goodies in the basement and pulled out some gorgeous watercolors of Plymouth where I grew up, and where hubs and I met.
Because each image is of a beach town store front or the ocean, it really lends a nautical vibe.

With a $4 package of nails from Target (or anywhere you buy that type of stuff) and a hammer we already owned, I was ready to hang.  Unlike most people, I did NOT map it out first! I wanted to be free flowing and organic so I can continue to add more frames as I want without worrying about having 2 vertical pictures so it stays balanced.

I love the way it came out.

 Grand total time:

$32 on Ikea Frames
$5 on Shutterfly pictures
$4 for nails from Target

$41 dollars total.

The most time consuming part was actually walking through Ikea and picking my images!
Putting pictures in every frame and hanging only took an hour!

What home project should I work on next?

Natural vs C Section: Who Is the Better Mother?

I read an article back in June about a new show coming out that shows women giving birth in the wild, completely devoid of any medical help and it's stuck with me. One paragraph in particular: 

As extreme as it may sound, the show [Born Into The Wild] is, believe it or not, a natural extension of a culture that has turned labor into a defining moment in women's lives, their first chance to prove just how devoted a mother they truly are. The criteria for measuring this devotion are based on how little medical intervention they use during labor, meaning the ultimate mama, the sort who might appear in this new show, is one who relies only on her breath, the shade of a couple of pine trees, and a kiddie pool on top of a bed of leaves to get her baby out in the most natural method imaginable. On the losing end of the spectrum, we'd see a C-section mother, who broke every alternative birthing commandment imaginable by electing to undergo the procedure. 

Isn't it sad that this is really how many think? That a natural birth makes you a better mother...

Have you noticed it too?

I've struggled with writing this piece because it's very personal and I'm sure, controversial. 

Natural childbirth vs a cesarean. Are you proving your worth as a mother if you have one rather than the other?

My first pregnancy went 41 weeks.

She was classic textbook. We didn't find out the gender, she hit every milestone she was supposed to, there was never any doubt in my mind that I would have a vaginal delivery.

The night before my induction, which was scheduled at exactly 41 weeks, I went into labor on my own.  It came on hard and fast.  I had never made a birth plan, what's the point, the baby can't read and won't follow it anyways.  I had never considered an epidural.  Not because I thought I was better than them, but because I was petrified of one. I never got one.

Within two hours of my water breaking, it was time to push. I pushed for maybe 30 minutes and she was in my arms. A completely natural delivery.  She went skin to skin immediately and latched within the hour.

Until I went into labor I was scared of what labor would be like, I was afraid of the pain and the recovery. I felt power and pride when I saw a perfectly healthy little baby in my arms that my body had made and nurtured. I was proud of how brave I had been.

My second pregnancy was different.

We learned we were having a boy at 17 weeks. He hit every milestone he was supposed to, until we hit 32 weeks and he hadn't flipped. At 36 weeks, he hadn't flipped.  At 38 weeks I attempted a version and he didn't flip. I fought so hard for my vaginal delivery.

The night before my scheduled c-section, I sat in my bed thinking.  I hadn't made a birth plan again and clearly this little man wouldn't have listen anyways. I was petrified of the spinal.

Within two hours of being at the hospital, it was time to get me into the operating room. Seven minutes later I had a small child in my arms, and a half hour later I was all stitched up. A completely textbook routine cesarean. He went skin to skin immediately and latched within 15 minutes.

Until it was over I was scared of what a c-section would be like, I was afraid of the pain and the recovery. I felt power and pride when I saw a perfectly healthy little baby in my arms that my body had made and nurtured. I was proud of how brave I had been.

But I was disappointed in myself for a bit.  Before he was born, when people would ask, I always said "I need to have a c-section because he's breech", like it was an excuse for my failings. But I didn't fail.  

I gave birth to a perfect little boy the way he needed to be delivered.

Am I a better mother to my daughter who was a natural delivery? Nope.

I was, and am, exactly the mother that both of my children need, even if those needs were not and are not the same. 

What Emma Says : July Edition

My three year old is pretty much the funniest person I talk to.
I don't know where she comes up with the things she does.

I posted a few to Facebook and the response was overwhelming.
At the end of each month, I'm going to put all of her amazing quotes onto one post for everyone's enjoyment.
I'll post it on the first of the month for the previous month, makes sense?
Good.  Now, next month, on September 1st, please come and add silly things your kid says!

"Mommy, my belly hurts"
"Why does it hurt kiddo?"
"Because I eat so much frap"


"Hey mom, I need to ask you a festion."
"What do you need to ask me?"
"I ate one of your French fries. Okay?"


"Momma, what are you dooonin?"
"Cleaning, what are you doing?"
"Making a mess of edeything".
"Awesome"
"You're welcome momma. See, I use my manners!"


"Emma, stop hitting the cat with the roll of wrapping paper."
"But I am trying to get the candy out of her. She's a pinata."

"Mommy, I have a baby in my belly. I'm going to name him Ra-Ra." 

...and then her tea party plate fell out of her shirt. 

"He's here mommy!"

"Daddy, you have boobies too!"
She's hyperaware of me nursing her baby brother.


"Mommy will you hold me and say 'Rock you baby like a whackin wheel please?"
She has great music tastes.


 "Mommy, I am making a kitty cat popsicle"
The cat had climbed into the fridge while Emma had been in looking for something to eat.
I promise she wasn't in there for more than 2 minutes.

Stay tuned for next months edition!