It is hard to believe 2016 is wrapping up in a matter of a few weeks!

Looking back we had such an amazing, blessed year and we have you guys to thank for that! All of the love you guys share with us here, and spreading the word about our blog to family + friends – we could not be more grateful! Thank you for all of your support over the years!

Next year will be a big year for us, full of even bigger changes – and we cannot wait to take you all on the journey with us.

If you tuned into my Facebook Live session two weeks ago, you were the first to hear about our new adventure.  Dan and I are finally following our dream of starting our own home renovation business.  In 2017, Brick Street Homes will be launching and slowly but surely we will start taking our passion for flipping our own homes and fix up other homes in need of some TLC.

So what will change here?

The name of the blog for one – I’ve mentioned this to you guys in years past, how I always felt like our name was not quite right.  So the business name will be the blogs name, but don’t fret – our content will all remain the same, we will just have this glorious addition of taking you guys on our new journey  with us on the blog!

For those of you wondering, “Where did the name Brick Street Homes come from?” It’s actually simple! Our first home (our first big project) was on one of the only brick streets left in our city.  We LOVED that brick road and all of its charm.  So what better to name our business after the place where our love for renovating homes all started?

We really hope you guys will tag along, things are going to get crazy in a few short weeks and we are so stoked to have this space to share it all with you guys!

We will be taking the next few weeks to get all of our changes ready to launch in time for the New Year.  Until then, have the happiest of holidays you guys!

We love you all, and are so excited to give you guys an all access pass into our crazy new life!

xoxo, abby

I’m fairly certain that as each year passes from here on out, I will feel extra blessed to have 3 believers under one roof.   My gosh, kids at school talk and I am so happy that it has not altered our boys nostalgia in any way.  I wanted to show you guys a few of the items we picked up for the boys, for some reason as they get older they are getting harder to shop for.  Thankfully Amazon always has my back and I was able to find a fun variety of toys/games etc to keep them grinning ear to ear Christmas morning!

Bring it on Christmas, the Thome’s are ready!

Everyday in our house, or if you are lucky enough to get pulled into a game of “would you rather?” at a family get together with our boys, their wild imagination will leave you cracking up.   Their version usually gives you the option of, “would you rather eat poop, or drink pee?” So glad I stumbled across this game for them – giving them less gross-boy-saying to splurt out.

Lego Dimensions and a new Skylanders starter pack were hot on the list.  They have Skylanders already and play it all the time.  Collecting the characters (that’s where they get your $$) get them really excited.  Twister was my idea, and I know they will love it.  I think I just wanted to test my flexibility after 3 kids – maybe I should try this alone first??

K’nex are always a favorite with our boys.  I think it is the wide range of motion they can get once they create a piece, easy to build and no guilt associated with breaking them down.  Legos on the other hand, boy, I have such a love/hate relationship with them.  I adore how they challenge the boys, and keep them busy for hours.  However, I turn into a jerk and want the boys to keep them together because they are expensive.  And we all know once they break, they stay apart in a bucket of random pieces – forever.  (And yet we still bought at least 10 kits)   Science experiments are Owen’s jam.  We always do little ones in the kitchen after school, so I snagged one of these kits for each of the boys to keep them occupied on the upcoming winter days.  Oh! And the Play Doh! Guys, are your kids still into Play Doh? Because my boys are still totally into it!  They will spend hours pretending and whipping up treats and concoctions!

Magformers are all the rage, and for all of the right reasons.  If you have a little builder on your hands, look into these magnetic building blocks that your kids will love! The item I am sure we will regret when it gets lodged in a tree, drones.  But the boys really want them, so of course Santa’s elves figured it out.  These cute ride on carts will be perfect to roll up and down our trail, can’t wait for spring already! A little boys Christmas is not complete without a nerf gun – another one for the toy bucket 🙂

Video games … need I say more? Brody Brody Brody.  (Basketball, Football, Hockey) And selfie sticks for the win!

A few of the best (in my opinion) for last! Oh these viral chewbaca masks, I want one for me.  The rugrats play store all the time, so these registers that add and subtract will be an awesome addition to their playtime!   Dan and I had the boys open up these letter popsicles today, for Owen to practice with and the quality is amazing and I would highly reccomend them for anyone with a little one learned his/her letters! Last but not least, Star Wars nesting dolls! Enough said!

We have a few more boxes to go through, trying to remind ourselves all of the things we’ve thrown into the Amazon cart of the month.  Boxes and boxes are stacked in our closet, and the kids believe it to be mom and dads work packages.  So far, so good.  A ton of these items (if not all) are available via Amazon Prime, so if you are still shopping, snag a few!

Say goodbye to your bank account in 3 …. 2 …..

 I was inspired by Arhaus to share how we bring the holidays into our home, and I had to share my ideas with you all!  I have been a huge fan of Arhaus for years, and I dream about being able to deck our halls with their decor in the future!

First and foremost, if you are not familiar with this amazing company, check them out on all of their social media outlets, and main page:

Arhaus

Facebook 

Pinterest 

Instagram 

Now that you are drooling and getting ready to pitch every piece of home decor you own and switch it over to the one and only Arhaus, I wanted to give you a bit more inspiration for the holiday season.

What are some of the things that you do to bring that holiday spirit into your home? If you’re like us, we are super impatient – it is our favorite time of year! We tend to put the tree(s) up and start decorating the week prior to Thanksgiving.  Nothing brings us more joy than making our house feel extra cozy for our family!

We switch out pillows first.  I love to add faux fur, velvet, and plaid pillows to our couches.  Mixing patterns adds so much depth and contrast to our space and nothing beats plopping down on the couch in front of the fire at night with extra pillows to surround you! Of course a few new throw blankets are always best.  But if you are like us and are constantly having guests over, we like to have an ample amount and store them in chests and ottomans so everyone can stay nice and toasty!

It is funny how when I was thinking about writing this post, my brain took me straight down memory lane.  I zapped right back in time to my grandparents basement, where all 17+ of my cousins gathered and played our hearts out for years during the holiday season.  It made me want to finish our basement SO badly (as you know it is on our project list for next year!) We host Christmas Eve here for a large crew, and finishing the basement for all of the cousins and parents to crash and relax in would be a total dream.

Thank you Arhaus, now you have my wheels turning for speeding up the basement renovations! Join me, Arhaus will you?! 🙂

Our basement is LARGE, we have big plans to add a 1/2 bath, and of course a bar – because a basement without a bar is not a basement after all (wink wink)

My entire room inspiration ignited when I stumbled across this sectional –

Don’t let that tiny picture fool you – if I expanded it any further it became blurry, so click HERE and check it out and all of its glory.  A ginormous sectional would be perfectly suitable for our crazy-big family, check all that Arhaus has to offer, HERE! I can just picture everyone gathered watching Christmas Vacation!

Now to really put our basement together, I would add these pieces too!

Of course during the holidays, faux fur pillows are an absolute must! Go buy one now, and I dare you not to hog it all night.  And I adore this simple grey rug, keeping our basement soft and warm.

You know me and my love for tables and drawers.  Give me all of these please.  The sectional would have each of these black cabinets flanked on each side.  Just look at that storage! And the coffee table varies in sizes, and goes as big as 71″ – just perfection.

And let us add some holiday spirit into this space, shall we?

Just look at these artificial trees! Yes, I would have two in our basement.  Because two is better than one, we all know that.  And I am a total fool for these massive metal deer heads, I have a bull in our sons bedroom and it is a total showstopper.  How cute would this deer head be with garland draped across its antlers?? Yes!

Now that I will never be able to get this dream room out of my head, I better start chatting with the hubby about how we can tackle it all a.s.a.p!

Remember these few simple tips during the holidays to help spread the Christmas cheer to all of those you love and hold dear …

1.  Always have a few treats on hand for unexpected visitors.  Of course, we are always stocked with wine – but I always make sure to have delicious chocolate dipped cookies in the pantry, or cookie dough in the fridge to pull out at the last-minute.
2. Do not forget the hostess! If they say “don’t bring anything” and you know they mean it, bring the host a present.  A cookbook, breakfast for the next morning (cinnamon rolls are always a great option) or a bottle of wine with a bow.  The holidays can be very stressful to those hosting (unless you are me and have learned to not sweat the small stuff!)
3. Last but not least, remember, giving is far better than receiving.  And do not get yourself all worked up about getting the biggest most expensive/impressive gift.  Thoughtful, meaningful presents trump any trendy gift you waited in lines for.

I really hope you all have a beautiful holiday season.  Adding a few simple holiday touches to your home will make you and your guests feel loved and welcome.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of J.M Smucker. All opinions are 100% mine.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of J.M Smucker and Dollar General. All opinions are 100% mine.

Dollar General is one of those stores that you can just stroll through the aisles looking at everything.  And trust me, I did.  I always get distracted looking for things for the kids and even our pets! Did you know it was a great place to save a buck for your dog treats?

You guys met Duke when he was just a wee pup –  it was a complete impulse decision to add a dog to our family.  We knew the day would come, but we did not anticipate us jumping on it while the kids were so little.  But look at this little guy, how could we not take him home? 

Duke stole our hearts along with our patience just as rapidly.  It has been over an entire year full of ups and downs in the puppy world, but one truth remains at the end of the day.

All good things are worth fighting for.

Having dog treats on hand throughout the day is essential to keeping him on his toes and helps reward each positive move he makes! We keep an entire jar full of Milk-Bone treats right at the door where we let him outside.  He loves the gravy bones! I love that they are just the right size and we don’t feel guilty breaking them in half and giving him a few throughout the day.

He is way bigger now, I call him our horse.

And this large pup is wild, gets into everything and misbehaves like the wild dog he is.  So training him, and taking the time to do so is essential!

This holiday season we definitely want to show our new family member some love – and what better way to a pups heart then with his favorite treats?  I had so much fun checking all that Dollar General has to offer – 

Dollar General has one of his  favorites – Milk-Bone along with Pup-Peroni and Canine Carry Outs

Dukes outdoor surprise had him more than ready to show off!  Of course his favorite person in the entire world, his Dad had to deck himself out like Santa and help Duke out.  We started with his favorite gravy bones, and had fun letting him try a few new treats we had never seen in other stores before! 

We are so glad we have Dollar General  to stock up on all of Duke’s favorites to set underneath the tree this year!

We decided to make Duke a little holiday present ahead of time, with this simple DIY doggie treat!

Simply take your MilkBone treats, and turn them into a peanut butter frozen treat for your pup!

It is so easy! Grab pairs of each color, pipe peanut butter in the middle and sandwich them together! Pop the treats in the freezer and bring them out when your ready to really reward your pooch!

 It is amazing that no matter how much he tests our patience, each day he keeps carving out bigger spot in our hearts.  I know all of this training will pay off in the long run, and he will be the best family dog we could ever ask for.  

Make sure to check out your local Dollar General

So you can stock up and treat your pup to the ultimate holiday treats!

I am sure we will get a big “I woof you!” back!

Happiest of holiday days to you are yours –

With lots of love, 

The Thome Family 

At this very moment, my floors are covered in dog hair.  If you are cold and need a sweater, give me an hour and I can knit you one, and another for a friend.

The dishwasher is clean, but has been sitting since last night.  While dishes in the sink are just staring back at me.

I painted our family room two days ago, so that room is in complete shambles.

The boys trashed my car – I kid you not I could tell you every ounce of food they have consumed in the past month because every crumb and chunk is sitting in every crack and corner possible.

Dan and I burnt dinner this week, twice.  As if we never heard of a timer before.

I tried to squeeze a blackhead out –  and left my cheek with a giant bruise and scab, it’s gorgeous.

Max hasn’t slept through the night in weeks.  He is teething like a boss, screaming and fussy and it is pure exhaustion.

We needed a moment….

And so we took a day off this past Friday.  The weather called to be 70+* we gave the kiddos a day off of school, and attempted family pictures.

Surprise, surprise they were not that successful – and I was feeling a bit frustrated because all I wanted was a nice picture for our Christmas card.

And then as we were walking out, two ladies stopped me and commented on how “cute” we looked as a family.   I immediately felt a bit embarrassed that we obviously had the kids out of school and explained.  They laughed, and said that I was the coolest mom to do that on the last nice day of the year and I wouldn’t regret it.   They asked how the pictures turned out and I kind of rolled my eyes.  One of the girls said, trust me, you’ll look back on these one day and love them so much.

It was just what I needed to hear.

And it is so so true.  Sometimes the mess of life blurs over the beauty of it all.

Making a point over the next few weeks, during the craziness of the holiday season that is upon us to take a step back and relish in it all.

Dog hair, burnt dinners and all.

picture from here. 

Thanksgiving is just days away, and I am about to pop your holiday bubble with some amazing Step2 products that Santa should be sure to bring for your little one this year!

Step2 comes up with the most darling and durable play toys that will keep your kiddos occupied for hours.  Believe it or not, with the pieces we have at our home, even our 7-year-old Brody gets creative and plays right along with Owen.  Age is nothing but a number – if the toys are good, the kids will come running for them!

Here are a few of my ultimate Step2 products that I would love to see under our Christmas tree this year!

The All Around Canopy Wagon  would make our walks to the park a breeze now that Max can sit up all his own! I love that it has a canopy on top, protecting our littles from the harsh summer sun.   We have pushed Max in a swing once, and he cried when we took him out – so this infant swing would be an absolute hit in our backyard! Oh! And I cannot forget this adorable grocery cart  – the boys were gifted one a few years ago and it was used nearly every single day.  No joke! We re-gifted it to a family friend because the boys outgrew it, and we know it is being shuffled all around their house!

Brody is a baseball maniac, he and our neighbor are always playing together in the yard – and this spring this would make such a great addition to their baseball-athons! Check it out HERE! It’s hard to believe Max will be walking by next summer, unless he follows in Brody’s footsteps and waits until 15 months (yes, it’s true!) If he jumps at it, I know we will have to step up our outdoor toy game and get Max hooked up! This Busy Ball Playset  would keep those little feet running back and forth in sheer excitement! I have been searching for an easel, bigger then their old school smaller size easel for the boys to work together on.  This Jumbo Art Easel is the answer to our kids prayers  – perfect for when you have more than one kid wanting to play with the same toy!

We hit the jackpot when the boys were given the chance to test this toy out …

The Hot Wheels Car and Track Play Table has been such a great addition to our play area.   Nothing beats the double ramp! Brody and Owen let their imaginations run wild, I love that it is big enough for the two of them and they can use all of their toy cars on it!

This video I am about to show you could not stand more true to play time at our house.  Our boys are WILD, SILLY, and over the top! That is exactly why I love Step2 – their products hold up to all of The Thome Home madness!