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Jamie Gremillion, Bloom Co.

The idea for a pin board was literally born in my head, and I talked it out with Adam. He thought a piece of foam board from the hardware store would work, and he was right! We wanted it to be dramatic and eye-catching, so we went with a 2″ thick sheet. (Step 1) We cut a 4’x8′ foamboard down to 32″x6′ with an adjustable razor knife. It was the perfect scale for our space. I loved the idea of it being sort of “larger than life” and not just another “something” on the wall.

Once we got started, the process was super easy and took less than an hour, start to finish! After the foam was cut, (I recommend doing it outside, foam gets messy!) I started to cover it with the duck canvas I chose as the fabric. Pinking shears work great to keep the raw edges from fraying. I used white canvas to give a monochromatic look with my walls, but you can choose any color you like.

There will likely be deep creases in your fabric, (Step 2) so I recommend steaming it first, before wrapping your foam. I didn’t do that and was stuck trying to gently steam the wrinkles out without melting the foamboard, it would’ve been easier to do it ahead. Also, don’t skip this step! Promise? You’ll be tempted to, thinking your fabric will pull tight enough, but you’ll still see the wrinkles and it will look less chic, and more diy, which we don’t want. Trust me.

(Step 3) Once the duck canvas is smooth, I wrapped the foam with it and secured it using my glue gun and hot glue on the back edge. The hot glue does compromise the foam and melts it a little, but still holds the fabric really well. You can add some regular thumb tacks along the back if you want to be sure the fabric is secure. (Step 4) Neatly fold the corners like a package and hot glue them down.

(Step 5) Mark off where you’ll put each decorative thumbtack on the edges using a light pencil mark. I placed mine 6″ apart which worked well with a 6-foot board. Gently insert tacks keeping them centered in the middle of the 2″ end.

(Step 6) Now comes the fun part! Dig out all those beautiful keepsakes and artwork pieces you’ve been holding onto and start pinning. I used simple wood tacks to keep them secure. The warmth this project has added to our kitchen is amazing! We plan to use it mostly to display current treasures, but I also have a few other ideas too!

• Christmas Cards from Friends
• Old Family Recipes
• Instant Family Photos
• Meaningful Scriptures
• Famous Quotes
• Gratitude at Thanksgiving
• “I Love You Because” Notes at Valentine’s Day
• Specialty Items for a Party of Celebration
• Memories of a Loved One

Whatever you decide to display on your pin board, I know it will be meaningful to you and yours. Building a home is so much more than decor. I hope you feel inspired to create this easy conversation piece in your own home. Shop the full post here and let me know in the comments if you have any questions. Be sure to share with me once yours is done! Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

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Jamie

All I can do is share our experience and how we choose to manage this part of parenting. I’m going to break it down into three main points. We tend to look at our family unit as a team, so we try to make decisions and rules that everyone can follow.

Set limits and boundaries BEFORE ever turning on a device. Since Clark first got his Xbox at age 8, we made it clear that no one would play on it, or the Nintendo Switch, Sunday afternoon through Thursday afternoon (we have a four day school week). Since we made it a rule, he’s never even asked during the week, plus it gives him something to look forward to on the weekends! This same rule goes for the girls regarding their Amazon Fire Tablets. It was communicated to everyone, we all agreed, so now it’s just the way it is.

Set boundaries and/or time limits TOGETHER. Involving the kids in their own boundaries and rules has always worked well for us, and screen time is no different. Our kids will have to regulate their own activities in their own lives eventually, so we try to help them learn to do that sooner rather than later. Just as we as parents have to be diligent to find balance with tech, so do our children. After all, technology isn’t going anywhere, so they’ll need to learn to manage it. When we asked our older kids (age 6 and 9) how much time they thought was appropriate to spend on their devices, they both gave us a number lower than what we had in mind, so we went with it. It was a win!

Clark sets his own timer for Xbox, and I program the parental control timer on the Amazon Fire and Nintendo Switch. This has been successful for us more often than not. If there’s a fight or fuss when the time limit is up, it’s directly related to the next time they’re able to have screen time.

Regulating screen time is a FAMILY practice. Basically, I’m not gonna ask them to get off their device on a rainy day if I’m not willing to get off mine. Sometimes we binge, and some weekends we get so busy with other fun things, we go three days and barely turn a device on! Balance!

Bottom line, there’s no “one size fits all” solution for all families or all devices. For example, Apple devices or anything else that allows web browsing is a total “no-go” for us, (see why here) whereas other families manage them beautifully.

If you’re having trouble with little ones obsessing over devices, I suggest you start by taking devices off a pedestal and just viewing them as another toy/form of entertainment. After all, it’s possible to have too much of a good thing! Treat tech as part of your life and not an extreme. (A reward or punishment) Once it’s not such a big deal, chances are your kids won’t desire it quite as much.

This mindset, matched with proper boundaries to keep your kids safe, should set you up for a peaceful relationship with screens. After all, they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon!

Let me know in the comments below if any of this was helpful! Thanks for reading, XO Jamie

It’s been 18 months since the first cases of Covid-19 started showing up in our area, so Adam and I were actually surprised we hadn’t gotten it before now. We are careful to wash our hands well and often, but we choose to keep our people close. We also work to keep our bodies healthy and our minds and faith strong. We both agreed that we would probably get it one day, and unfortunately we did.

I thought it might be helpful to share our experience and include our symptoms, the remedies we tried, and tips for getting past it. I’ll break our story into 3 parts: physical, emotional, and spiritual. You might be thinking… wait what? It’s a virus… spiritual? Yep! Stay with me!

Physical:

Adam had soooo many more physical symptoms than me! He had a pretty typical onset with a relentless headache and low grade fever. Within 24 hours that progressed to the “devil headache” (as we call it) and loss of all taste and smell. It was the absolute worst head pain he’s ever had. That evening he started a Z pack and Ivermectin along with a list of recommended supplements (see below). The next day he woke feeling better. Excedrin Migraine and Tylenol gave him some relief from his headache when taken consistently every 6 hours.

For the first few days, he had bouts of nausea, fever spikes to 102, muscle pain (especially back), sores in the back of his throat, fatigue, dry cough and brain fog. After his antibody infusion on day 5, he began to have fewer symptoms and slowly regained his strength.

As I mentioned, my physical symptoms were extremely mild compared to Adam’s, and almost non-existent for the first several days. I took the same supplements, as well as a Z pack and Ivermectin. I had a mild headache and mild nausea, and finally lost my taste and smell on day 6. My fever never got over 99.3 and only lasted two days. My biggest complaint was that “my eyeballs hurt” (headache behind my eyes). This was most obvious to me when it was time for a little more Tylenol. After my antibody infusion though, I felt great within 24 hours! I didn’t experience a dip in energy or muscle pain, but I also had a mild, dry cough on and off for 2 days.

All three kids (age 3, 6, 9) had runny noses. Clark (age 9) lost some of his taste and smell. Their symptoms lasted about 72 hours.

Emotional:

I have rarely seen anything reported on the emotional effects of Covid, so I thought I’d share our thoughts on this very vulnerable side of it.

Having a positive Covid test is an emotionally charged experience. We’ve all heard the numbers reported, seen the horrible hospital footage, and most of us have known someone that’s died with it, so it makes for a very uneasy feeling when you find out you have it! Though we quarantined as a family, it was a very isolating feeling to know you can’t have any physical contact with anyone for a full 10 days. The feelings of uncertainty also set in because there are so many different symptoms and levels of severity reported. On top of isolation and uncertainty, we experienced some feelings of panic until we were able to secure medication locally.

Trust me, we felt all of this deeply. Around midnight on the first night we were sick, I was alone in my kitchen filling veggie capsules with liquid Ivermectin from the feed store. I learned to use a veterinary syringe that night. There I was… mom of three… taking matters into my own hands… in the middle of the night, in my kitchen, in America.

That night an overwhelming feeling came over me… a feeling of empowerment, mama bear-ness and bad ass-ness? Yes, but also feelings of betrayal and dread for the future. For the first time it was clear to me just how alone we were. In a country where we should have access to any, and every health benefit, (not free access, but access nonetheless), I was doing what I believed was right, all alone, and based on my own research.

The following day we were able to get the prescriptions we needed thanks to a family friend, but not having a personal doctor to turn to when we needed it, was a very insecure feeling if I’m being totally honest.

The trip to the hospital for our infusions was also an interesting experience. When it’s you infected with the virus, you are like a dirty bomb… the elephant in the room… and everybody knows it! All the warning signs… they’re about you… all the masks, gloves, hazmat suits… because of you. Riding the “Covid +” elevator is odd, the small talk and superficial conversations with nurses all feel like a scene from a movie. Though millions have been infected, being one of them still feels lonely.

Internally, my husband experienced a fair amount of anxiety related to feelings of helplessness and uncertainty. One night he told me he was “completely at the mercy of this wicked thing” and it struck me deep in my core. This leads me to the spiritual component of our experience with Covid.

Spiritual:

From the moment we saw the two lines on our “at home” Covid test, there was a noticeable, palatable shift in the atmosphere of our home. It was like a dark cloud settled over it. I would spend the next 10 days combating it and speaking/praying against it. Even in really dark minutes, the presence of God was with us. He provided our medication for us, dinner every night from family and friends, stuff to keep our kids happy, peaceful family time, positive kid attitudes …all of it was from Him. A virus created and meant for evil, chaos, division, destruction and death… but allowed by God for His glory. I don’t understand it and probably never will, but He was close, incredibly near during every minute of our healing.

The biggest surprise to me wasn’t how dark and spiritually draining this illness was, but how darkness and light, the spirit of the enemy and the Spirit of the Living God were both present, in my home… together, at once. It was as if we were getting a look into spiritual warfare through the agony of miserable symptoms drenched in the mercies of Jesus.

None of this may make sense if you haven’t had it, but I’d love to hear from you if you’re a believer and had a similar spiritual experience. It truly was an unforgettable 10 days.

Knowing what I know now, I’m reflecting on how I can be helpful for those that haven’t had it, but want to be prepared if they do find themselves in our situation. I’ve compiled some tips.

Helpful Tips:

• Buy an at-home Covid test kit to keep on hand for peace of mind and/or if symptoms start.
• Make a quarantine plan (with or away from family). Although I absolutely do not recommend being totally alone through this, you will need to know how you will quarantine.
• Know the protocol you want to follow. Do the research now, before you’re sick! Decide on the route you want to take to help your body heal the way you’re comfortable with. Write it down, screenshot it, etc. and communicate it to your family.
• Secure a prescription (if that’s what you decide) and/or a doctor that shares your opinion and values, add supplements (if you plan to use them) to your cart through a local vitamin shop/pharmacy’s website, know your BMI and/or risk factors for become sicker (if interested in antibody infusion).
• Make sure you have working thermometers, Tylenol, ice packs, etc.
• Get organized as soon as you test positive, before you don’t feel good. You’ll be more likely to stick to the protocol if it’s organized and easy to follow. (I bagged all of our supplements and meds and labeled them AM and PM.)
• Rest. Rest. Rest. Lean in to the Lord. Listen to what He wants you to learn from this time of sickness and stillness.

Overall our Covid experience isn’t something I ever want to go through again, but we’re on the other side feeling so blessed and grateful. I hope our real, raw account of what it was like will bring you comfort; not because it was fun or glamorous, but because sickness is part of life, and ultimately the overwhelming majority of people get through it with mild suffering and little inconvenience.

As always I’m an open book and will answer any questions you may have. Be sure you’re following along with my life on Instagram everyday @bloomco.interiors

Thanks for stopping by!

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. This post is not meant to give medical advice. This is our experience only. If you have questions or concerns, you should talk to a physician you trust,

Jamie

In this blog post, I’m sharing what we did as a family and my recommendations. We only stayed 3 nights, so there were things we didn’t do/see, but I hope this helps if you are planning a trip to Galveston, TX.

Where did we stay?

We stayed at The Dawn Beach Condominiums. I totally recommend our specific unit as it was clean and organized. We felt very “at home” and it fit our family of 5 perfectly. I’m including a link to the VRBO listing where you can find more photos.

Where did we eat?

Salsa’s Mexican Restaurant Wherever we go, we always love to find great Mexican food. Salsa’s did not disappoint! The beef fajitas were the best I’ve ever had, honestly. The service was impeccable and the atmosphere was great too! 5/5 stars!

Miller’s Seawall Grill We enjoyed brunch at Miller’s on our second day in Galveston. We arrived around 9:00 am and there was a 30 minute wait. The menu has great options for breakfast/brunch with kids. I built my own omelette and the kids and Adam had pancakes with eggs and bacon. Everything was delicious! 5/5 stars!

Rainforest Cafe We can’t visit a city with a restaurant like this without going… if you have children you understand! Reservations run two weeks out in the summer and you can’t call ahead. However, you can drop by and add your name to the list. The wait was an hour and a half, so we picked up groceries at Kroger, and shopped for a few beach toys at Walmart while we waited. They texted when the table was ready, and we had 15 minutes to arrive. It worked out great! I had the shrimp Caesar salad and it deserves 20 stars! It’s the best I’ve had, and I still think about it all the time! Lol. 5/5 stars for food and experience!

Katie’s Seafood House This restaurant is located near Pier 21, in the historic port district (The Strand). There’s beautiful views and it’s an adorable place! We made a reservation online and avoided the wait altogether. Everything we had was delicious! Katie’s was the most recommended restaurant by my Instagram followers, and now I know why. 5/5 stars!

Dawn Donuts This little donut shop was near the condo and was a fun breakfast treat for the kiddos to have by the pool on our last morning. For what it’s worth, they rated their donut holes 5/5!

What did we do for fun?

Day 1– The first day we went to Schlitterbahn Waterpark and had a blast. I scored discounted tickets from Travel Zoo and spent $40/ticket compared to $60/ticket at the gate! In my opinion, $40 was fair because a few attractions were closed. We didn’t spend any money in the park, because ice chests (no glass or alcohol) are welcome! For a family of 5, this policy is such a blessing. We packed a nutritious lunch + snacks, waters, etc. and had plenty to eat for the five hours we were there. I recommend getting there at 11:00 am when they open, and “claiming” a shaded picnic table (there are lots) by putting your things on it. Wear swim shoes and get one of these necklaces to protect your phone. Also, we recently switched to this mineral sunscreen and it held up so well! We reapplied it once, and then kept this “after sun cream” in the ice chest and applied it afterward!

Day 2- The second day we were in Galveston, we went to Moody Gardens and explored the aquarium and rainforest pyramids. It was a perfect amount for us, and kept the interest of our kids (ages 3,6,9). It took us about 2 1/2 hours to explore it all. You can purchase individual attraction tickets online or at the door.

After our fun at Moody Gardens, we did some shopping at Murdoch’s Souvenir Shop. I can’t say enough about this adorable place! It’s Galveston’s oldest shop, originally built directly on the sand in the late 1800s. The store has been rebuilt several times over the years, and the new store is just lovely! My favorite part is the fact that every type of souvenir you could possibly think of, is all under one roof! We gave the kids each a budget and they took their time carefully deciding on treasures to choose. We easily spent an hour browsing, and the kids still talk about the “huge beach store”! It’s a must!

Day 3- The third day was a beach day for us and Penelope’s 6th birthday! We loaded the car with the few beach items we brought, and headed across the highway. We used the public street parking on the beach side of Seawall Blvd, which is reasonable at $2/hour, and very convenient (pay via debit card). We parked near a bathroom/spray off station to make cleanup easy before getting back in the car afterward.

After having lunch in the room, (I placed a grocery pickup order at he nearby Kroger), and we rested a little before heading out to Pier 21 to take a dolphin tour! We booked/paid for tickets online to reserve our boat through Galveston Water Adventures. We went on the 5:00 pm tour, and it cost around $70 for the five of us. The tour was one hour and we saw tons of dolphins!

After the dolphin tour, we walked to dinner near Pier 21 and then walked around The Strand, Historic Downtown Galveston. Much of the shops close at 5:00 pm, but we did get to visit the most adorable candy shop, La King’s Confectionery .

Day 4- Checkout time for our unit was 11:00 am, which gave us just enough time for donuts by the pool! It was tough to go home, but we vowed to be back soon!

If you’re planning a weekend in Galveston, TX, I hope you have as good a time as we did! If you have any questions, comment below!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

I put together some of my uniform favorites from Amazon! Scroll down to shop the links below the graphic! Happy new school year!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

This summer I compiled a list of things we do in our home, and ways we are making this summer fun and peaceful. Here are a few of our ideas.

Make a “summer bucket list”!

We got together and made a list of things we want to do as a family before the summer is over. We thought of small, simple things, as well as vacations and big ideas, experiences, and more! We’ll check them off as the summer goes on.

I’ve found that making a master list like this cuts down on boredom, and helps me as a mom intentionally plan fun things without the days just passing me by.

Create a chore/responsibility system.

When it comes to helping out around the house, we keep it simple, but take it very seriously. Since I’m not the only one living in our home for the summer, I won’t be the only one caring for our home this summer. 😉 We make messes together, we pick up together… We eat dinner on the patio together, we clean up together… We change in and out of our swimsuits all day, we tend to our laundry together… and the list goes on!

Our little system comes from a tradition that is used at the kids’ school. We work together to earn “house points”. As a family we’re working to earn enough house points to go on a trip. For us, it’s 10,000 points. Individually, the kids are earning house points for the family, but also want to be the “weekly winner” to choose the restaurant where we eat during that weekend.

I don’t assign them specific chores or tasks, I just ask them to help with what needs to be done at the time. “House points” are earned by completing your task WITHOUT COMPLAINING! So simple, but so effective! Giving them the control over what we’re already doing, is gold!

5-minute-pickup

This is nothing new if you’ve been a around here a while, but I had to mention it! At least once, sometimes twice a day, we do a 5-minute pick up, all of us together. We set a timer for 5 minutes and everyone picks things up and puts them away. We start by taking care of our own stuff that we left out, and then help each other as time allows. We usually do this quickly before we leave the house, or before we start something new for the day. (Quiet time, board game/puzzle, screen time, etc.)

Make snacks accessible.

When I make things safely accessible in my home, my kids need me less, and feel empowered to make their own choices. Snacks rule the summer at our house, so I make them “healthy-ish” and accessible! A low pantry basket and a designated fridge drawer is all it takes. Sometimes I have to repackage things for easier access, but it’s that simple!! If you’re concerned about too much snacking, set a snack alarm on your phone or Alexa to let the kids know when they can get one.

Limit cups!

Ok let’s talk cups! During the summertime, cups show up in places all over the house! Every time I turn around there’s another cup… it adds up to so many dishes! This summer each kiddo has been getting one spill-proof thermos to refill water throughout the day. ONE! At meals they have a milk or juice option, but one thermos full of water works for the day!

Schedule alone time and/or date nights.

Getting time alone as a momma, (or as a couple), isn’t as easy to come by in the summer, but it’s just as important. Taking time to choose dates and schedule family or babysitters ahead is a great way to navigate tons of time spent with the kiddos. For me, it gives me something on the calendar to look forward to, which helps me to appreciate and enjoy the time I DO spend with my children during the long summer days. I recommend one afternoon per week alone, and a couple of date nights a month.

If we were chatting over coffee I know we could think of more ways to help keep summer enjoyable for everyone, so send me some ideas! Comment below and let me know what you and your family do, I’d also love to hear your “bucket list” ideas as well.

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

My oldest two children are 9 and 5 1/2. I decided we were going to take Holy Week this year to memorize the Lord’s Prayer.

I broke it into 6 parts and will take a couple of minutes each day to teach it to them, as well as explain the meaning (this is key). I’m thinking it’ll be something we can do together in the car on the way to school each morning. I’ll send them with a small slip of paper in their pocket and plan to quiz them after I pick them up!

As the week goes on, it will build. They’ll earn a prize for being able to recite it correctly each night before bed, (Probably a Hershey’s Kiss on their breakfast plate the next morning!) and by the end of the week they’ll know it!

Follow along and use the attached graphics to screenshot and store in your phone for easy reference. Let me know how your little ones do and send me all the sweet video memories on Instagram @bloomco.interiors

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

This post contains affiliate links. Like any small business, Bloom earns money when you shop here. Thank you for your support!

XO, Jamie

I used a large, 20 gallon latching Sterilite tote, drilled holes in all sides (including the lid) with a 3/16 drill bit… and boom! It was really that easy! As far as what to compost and how it all works… I’m still learning!

So far, I added composted soil from my in-law’s yard, scraps from the kitchen countertop composter, and worms. We’ll add a few sprays of water and give it a stir with the shovel every few days when we add new scraps. Other than that, it’s complete “hands-on” learning over here!

The kids are having fun with it and it’s given them a new “chore” that they actually look forward to doing! Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

This post contains affiliate links. Like any small business, Bloom Creative Co. earns money when you shop here. Thanks for your support.

Every year since Clark was born, almost 9 years ago, we have created something special as a family to record all the things we’re thankful for that year.

We’ve done “thankful trees”, “thankful pumpkins”, paper chains, etc. No matter what the craft, it’s always a special memory. While you’re here on the blog, check out our thankful tree from last year. I loved it and it was so easy and inexpensive.

This year we kept it simple, like everything else! Lol. I bought this beautiful set of wood beads and we wrote out all of our blessings to display. I love the way it turned out!

I’m linking the beads I ordered here incase you want to do it with your family!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

Honestly, this punch could be made for almost any holiday using other color sherbet and changing out a few things on the skewer! Imagine how cute strawberry sherbet and gummy hearts would be for V-Day!

Anyway, let’s get to the recipe. Lime sherbet, ginger ale and green food coloring is all you need for the punch. For the skewer I used gummy worms, Swedish Fish, and sour tape. It all came together in minutes and was so easy!

This weekend I’ll let the kids make their own skewer and and have a little fun with it. I know they’ll think it’s delish too!

For a bright green punch, add 5 drops of green food coloring (on top of sherbet, before adding ginger ale), and for an adult cocktail, add 1-2 shots of lime vodka to your glass.

I hope you enjoy this Halloween Monster punch with your family and friends. Let me know if you try it!

Check out the Instagram Reel to see it come together!

Thanks for stopping by and happy Halloween, Jamie xo