Allison Shumate Photography

Back again with another DIY Naptime Hustle project! If you follow me on Instagram then you already know… our garage recently got a quarantine makeover! Our garage is a space our family uses often, like every single day. We primarily enter/exit our house thru the side garage door, it has it’s usual garage storage stuff, it’s our office space, tool storage, fridge/deep freezer storage, gym space, craft corner, and a custom floor (installed by prior owners) for the occasional dance party!

I’m always looking for easy DIYs to spruce up our home sweet home. Last year, you may remember my idea to paint my garage… best decision ever!! After scrolling Pinterest for a few minutes to gather inspiration for another DIY… I decided to paint and stain our garage staircase. And… WOW! What a difference it makes! I love a good high impact, low cost project! I’m OBSESSED!

While this staircase looks small… it was tedious work! Those spindles were not fun. We chose black stain for the stairs (paint would’ve chipped over time from being a high traffic area) and white for the banister to match our checkered custom floor. We moved into our home 8+ years ago and the black/white checkered custom floor was installed by the prior owners. We had dull, dirty, boring stairs all this time in the garage and now… this little upgrade (along with the painted walls) gave this space a boost of curb appeal and a fresh finished look.

Our boys LOVE the new look!! They were in the garage (watching a movie) when Ryan and I got a head start on the painting. Now, every time Thomas goes down the stairs he says “Oooo! Nice!”.

Hope this motivated YOU take an afternoon to give your home a fresh look! See below for my DIY steps and materials. Stay tuned for a new blog post about my newest drop-zone station in the garage for our beautiful chaos!

Here are my DIY steps…

• Clear, clean, and tape the area
• Add wood putty to all knots/nail holes/cracks in the wood
• Painted the staircase banister and spindles white (2 coats)
• Stained steps black (1 coat) and let dry for at least 24-hours

Here are the materials I used:

• Black poly stain
• Indoor/outdoor white matte paint
• Tape & brushes

Hands full, heart full! Today is 3-year milestone for me that I’m proud of! 3 years ago I said farewell to the corporate world… traded in my daily business attire for “Costco casual”. Being home full-time with my boys has been such gift… beautiful chaos in our house!

Raising 2 little boys has been a wild ride thus far… our days are filled with loud shenanigans, bottomless snacks, strong coffee, cheap wine, tears of joy, superhero dress-up, deep breaths, toddler tantrums, time-outs, snuggles, dinosaur roars, outdoor adventures, blowout diapers, lots of laundry, and trucks galore… all while being a Boss Babe hustling two thriving businesses! Daily ups and downs of emotions… adrenaline, excitement, exhaustion, overwhelm, mom guilt, all the things… any other Mamas feel this?? 🙋🏼‍♀️But I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

I’m learning to give myself grace over perfection, to embrace the chaos, to appreciate the little things, that it’s okay to grow slow, to find joy in the everyday, and that tomorrow will always bring a fresh start.

So very grateful for my hubby that continues to support our family. Thankful for my tribe of ladies that get me through the tough days. Thankful for nap-time & gym day care (LOL!) annnnnd Disney+!

Cheers Moms… y’all are all rockstars!!!

Be still my heart!! Where did my babies go, y’all?! Michael will be 3 on October 17th and Thomas is now 18-months old. I’m having all the feels today as Michael starts his 2nd year of Preschool (the Twos class, 2-3 year olds) and Thomas’s first year of Preschool (the Toddlers class, 16-23 months olds). We’re starting at a new school for us too so it’s a first for all of us this year. Lots of familiar faces at this school and highly recommended so we’re excited! How cute are these two with their matching shoes and totes?! Tote bag personalization by The Crafty Neighbors. Scroll down for my 1st photo attempt of the two of them, HA! Pretty accurate, LOL!

I’m so very proud of my smart (and wild!) boys! Back in February, we transitioned Michael to a big boy bed and this past summer we got started with potty-training. He’s pretty much pantless when we’re at home (with no accidents!), LOL, and he still wears a diaper at night. Michael gives every single day 110% and talks nonstop… he’s a go-getter from 6AM-7PM (he thankfully still takes a nap). He loves dinosaurs, cars, trucks, and riding his scooter. Thomas loves music, dancing, snuggles, tickles, clapping, and chasing after his big brother. Thomas has always had a go-with-the-flow demeanor, he’s my daredevil but a good listener… and his big smile will truly melt your heart. These two brothers are like peas and carrots one minute and like vinegar the next! It’s been a longggg summer reminding Michael each and every day to be gentle. Although Michael has some tough love at times… he loves his little brother to pieces.

I’m excited for them to meet new friends, listen to others, explore, play, and learn!!… {and for this mama to get a break M/T/W from 9am-12pm… can I get an amen?!}. I love my boys! But they can be a lot to handle at times, LOL! It’s loud in our house… lots of dinosaur roars, squeals of laughter, some lots of tears (toddler tantrums!), and memories made! But all moms need a break to recharge batteries and refuel so we can be better moms. We had a lonnnnnng summer together… since Michael wasn’t yet 3 and potty-trained he couldn’t do any of the camps or Bible Schools… so we had to improvise! Also, with Ryan home full-time the entire summer… we all had lots of family time together. Now Ryan is back at work and the boys are off to school!

While I’m sad my boys are growing up way to fast!!… I couldn’t be more ready for a new season, a new chapter, a fresh start, and more daily structure in our routine. Michael’s preschool schedule is 3 days p/week and Thomas’s is 2 days p/week. SO! That means for two-days per week September to May I will have a total of SIX blissful hours all to myself each week. I haven’t had that since before kiddos. Six whole hours to shoot, edit, create content, run errands, schedule doctor appointments… or heck(!), take a bubble bath or even take a NAP (I was never a napper before motherhood, LOL). I’m looking forward to still having some one-on-one time carved into my week with Thomas on Wednesday mornings since Michael will be in school.

So! It’s the first day of school… I drop the boys off at 9AM… What am I up to on this fine Tuesday morning?! Whatever I want!… I have plenty of time to be productive in the days/weeks/months to come… so, this morning will likely include some relaxing “me time” and a mimosa (or two!). Cheers!