Master Bedroom - Newborn Days

This is our third preparing for new babies. We obviously get the nursery ready, but usually, a super important part is also preparing our master bedroom! I thought I'd take a moment to share some of the things we make sure we have prepared in our room for newborns.

First up - our bed. When things in my life are especially hectic, it helps me to have tidy spaces. In the newborn time I find there is a chunk of time that I am in my bedroom and if it's out of order, I find it hard to feel calm. I try to put my clothes away each day, and I like making the bed so that the room feels pulled together. The problem with the bedmaking is that to make our bed "properly" there are throws and pillows involved - by the time it's made it's pretty but you definitely don't want to mess it up until bedtime. The other truth about the newborn time is to try to get as much sleep as you can - napping, as they say, "when the baby naps". If my bed is made up fully I don't want to mess it up by napping. So during the final months of pregnancy (when I also need to nap a lot) and the first months of newborn life, I implement a half made bed plan. It keeps the room looking and feeling tidy, but is basically no effort to take apart for a nap.

You can see our monitor on the nightstand - linked up to all four! cameras.

Second up - baby/babies bassinet. We start for the first 1-2 months with the baby in our room in a bassinet. Since we have middle of the night feedings to contend with we like having them nice and close. We were given this bassinet and I upgraded it a bit to help it match our room. We like to leave it at the foot of our bed so it's somewhat equally between us :) Paul mostly gets up in the night to grab babies and bring them to me in bed - though who knows what it will be like with twins!

We also keep stuff under the bassinet - pump stuff on the right in the black bag. On the right, we have extra burp clothes, muslin blankets and woombies (great little sleep sacks). I'll add sleepers for the babies once we know their sizes.

As babies grow (and sleep longer and are more aware of what's around them) we move them to a pack n play in our closet. Right now Bailey naps in here since it's dark, and with the sound machine, it's a perfect nap place. Also, hey there baby belly in the mirror. 

I also like having chairs in the room - either to breastfeed in or just to have a place to sit and chat with Paul away from the rest of the house. It's also where I pump - private and comfortable. 

And lastly, probably one of the most used spots is our change station. We use the same change pad and change cover we have in both kids rooms (that way they are all interchangeable). We also lay a waterproof pad over top so that we get to change it less often in case of accidents. In our room, we use an Ikea Kallax System with inserts from Target. In the top left, we have diapers (newborn size, Bailey Size & nighttime for Avie & B), bum cream and wipes. Top right is random baby stuff for newborns. The two bottom inserts are both books and toys for the older girls. We also have a playmat for babies under the bed as they get older. 

And with that, I think we are 100% complete all baby prep! These were the types of things we could put off but all this baby waiting means we can get it done. Thankful for the extra time. 

DIY Closet Bed

The world of blogging is full picture perfect DIY's and best laid plans. I had this dream of a closet bed for Avie - I even blogged about it. Then I did it and it exceeded my expectations. I picked fabrics and made pillows. I was so proud - sewing them at 9 months (and 3 days) pregnant. I loved them. I loved it. LOVED IT. Look, it's so pretty! And picture worthy. 

Pigtails and face pillows

Turns out Avie liked it too - so much that she pulled the faces off of both the pillows. Now it's a creepy white circle and a strange gray swirly pillow with lips. Plus she wouldn't sleep in it. It was too short. She's tall like Paul. So basically, the toddler ripped the faces off the cute pillows and wouldn't sleep in it. So yeah #pinterestfail. BUT the bed itself is great, and we added a safety gate to the front so it's a nice small crib with a sweet netting and garland on top.

Then the more we were thinking about it we realized that Avie is already sleeping funny and it didn't make sense to transition her from her crib bed  - she's not escaping from it and it's good to have her contained. Bailey needed to move into Avie's room, so we decided to move Bailey into the closet bed. It's been amazing. They are in the same room (and NO ONE BUT US IS IN OUR ROOM) and it's going well - they are in the same room but not on top of each other. It's slightly darker for B and Avie, the picky sleeper, gets to keep her regular bed. It was a stroke of genius. So so happy. 

Also they've been sharing a room now for 5 nights. It's been touch and go at times but mostly they've slept through the night #praisethelord. The only night they didn't was the night it was 31 degrees, the electricity turned off so the fans didn't work, and then the electricity turned back on and scared the girls. Rough night. We're good now though. Plus it's less hot. So that helps. 

And...on the plus side of all of this. I used the many many pillows that I'd made for the bed (and obviously weren't safe for a baby bed) and created a cozy sitting space in the bedroom for reading stories with Avie. 

Pretty Bathroom Organization

One thing that's been true abut me forever is that I keep pretty things clean, and I get overwhelmed in clutter. Before we moved my ensuite was fairly organized but not overly pretty. It was enough to keep me from getting overwhelmed but definitely didn't make my heart sing in any way. I was excited when we moved to our new place because the bathroom is way bigger and not only has a nice large vanity, but also a nice big cabinet to store stuff. I have been able to place some things out on the counter but leave most in the cabinet. The lack of clutter on the counter top has been great for my sanity - and for our marriage. Paul likes things tidy. Not pretty, just tidy. We had people who helped us unpack when we moved in, so the bathroom things were in the cabinet but they weren't organized and they definitely weren't pretty. This weekend Paul was away hunting so Saturday night once Avie (and her cousins, who were here for a sleepover) were asleep, I tackled the space!

First, I cleared it out. Then I wiped it down and organized all my items on the floor into types and PURGED. Once that was done it was time to start making things pretty.

I have tons of wrapping paper so I went and picked the girliest floral wrap with hints of gold (love). I measured and cut and then used double sided tape to stick the paper to the back of the wall. I loved how it immediately made the space feminine and special.

I also took a trip with Avie to Bellingham. We hit up the Postal Center, Costco, Trader Joes AND the kids' consignment store. But my heart was really captivated by our TJ Maxx stop. I was looking for pretty and useful containers. I had great success. I found a perfect dish to hold my pendants (that I string onto necklaces, depending on what I want to wear), a lovely marble dish (I loved the idea of the strength of marble, against the floral background) and a great little jewelry box (that I won't use to store valuable jewelry, since I don't have any, but I will hide random crap in it!).  I'd also bought a gorgeous Antler stand to hang things on a few months ago when I started dreaming about this space. Then I looked around the house for other things that I had - the cake stand I used in the last bathroom, a tiered stand that I used in my last kitchen but doesn't have a home here, a fun turquoise box I'd bought for our women's retreat, and a plastic container that I'd been using in Avie's room but no longer needed there.

After I had things generally corralled and in place, it was time to make storage for my necklaces. I had a 24 pack of command strip hangers that I'd grabbed at Costco a while back and a plan was set! I spaced out 9 hangers on both sides and then slowly hung my necklaces by type. Eventually, I found two big wide necklaces that I realized would look best hung on the back wall. I knew I couldn't hang much there because it would be held up by the paper, rather than the actual wall, but I figured I could get away with just two. I reinforced the back of it with more double sided tape (paper to wall) and then placed them. I loved the way it looked!

And there you have it. It's pretty. It's organized. And I've gone into the bathroom to look at it approximately 1000 times in the past days. Also, it took me a month to "edit" these terrible photos. I can happily report that this system has stayed in place perfectly, continued to bring me great joy and looks better in person.

From 1 to 2: Planning the kids room

In our last home I got to create a Nursery that I loved dearly for Avelynn. It fit my dreams and realities. I dreamed about it, friends and family helped me pull it together, and then Avie lived in it. And it was perfect. I wrote about my plans and the execution of them; here, here and here.

Then we moved. And technically, the perfect nursery came with us - but I haven't had the heart to put it all back together. I was overwhelmed to put back up her pouf feature without my besties (who had since moved to South Africa and France) or the gallery wall without the family that had helped put it together. Putting it together was one of the best decorating experiences I've ever had - honestly, I loved it. Packing up her room was super hard for me - which was a bit of a surprise. I mean, it shouldn't be that big of a deal, right? It's just a room. But somehow it was. And now I keep stalling. We've been here since May 31st, and it's the end of October now. 

But what's true about me is that I keep a room cleanest when it's organized and pretty. I find parenting easier when everything has a home, a place. AND I have a newborn coming in less than 2 months. It is time to conquer my fears or laziness or whatever it is and just start. Avie was away with her Grandpa and Grandma (Paul's side) so we could enjoy a parenting seminar and some time together - we had a few hours to spare so we started on the room! We brought up the newborn clothes and sorted them into drawers, and organized Avie's clothes. Now one side of the dresser is all Avie, and the other side is all baby girl #2 (such a personalized name, right?); Size 3 and 4 diapers on the left, newborn diapers on the right (how will we have a baby that small?? Those things are tiny). The room is pretty and organized now - all I need to do is decide what to do with the poufs (I have some ideas), put up the gallery wall (I loved having it and can probably do it with some help) and complete my closet dreaming (which I'll tell you about). 

Avie is in slightly bigger room now (with an ensuite!) and a deep closet. Currently, Avie sleeps in the crib (on the lowest level). We only have the one bedroom, and so the two kids will be sharing a room. To start, Baby #2 will be in our room in a bassinet for the first couple months, then she'll move into the kids room. Around that point, we'll move Avie out of the crib onto a floor bed, and move Baby #2 into the crib. AND Avie's floor bed will be made in the closet! Basically, I have seen some images for floor beds and teepee's, as well as kid pillows and twinkle lights - and I was hooked. 

First, I read about the benefits of floor beds

Second, I started looking at pictures of floor beds, tents, and bed filled with kids pillows. There were lots. Here are a few highlights:

Sweet floor bed with house frame! and mini doll bed! And stars on the walls!

Floor, pillows, twinkle lights!

Clara's Bedroom - Sweet & Simple Bed Canopy

Floor bed with tenting and pillows! The trifecta.

This final picture is my biggest dreaming point. It just makes me happy. The only problem is that there isn't the space in the girls room to put another bed, floor or otherwise. We already have a spare bed there for when Gram comes to stay. So we needed to look at alternatives. The closet seemed like an ideal spot. Deep and cozy. We were originally going to put a crib in there for Baby #2 but realized we could make a sweet spot for Avie instead. Here's where my dreams take off. 

We will be making a short (6 inch?) platform to put her bed on so it's slightly raised (that way we can fit a few things under it, like some books for Avie. Then we will be laying out a foam bed, topped with a fitted sheet and fun pillow, with draped material (and probably some fun garland) hanging from the upper shelf. There will be poufs and some twinkle lights. 

This is where we are so far with her closet - the platform isn't made, but the foam is to size and the crib sheet fits. Avie likes to crawl in and lay down - that's a good sign! #shehasnoidea #shejustlikessmallspaces

Finally, some of my excitement is back - I think once it really starts coming together my excitement will kick into high gear - the vision just needs to start being reality, and I suspect I will flip out. So I'm starting with her closet, as I assume that will get me pumped enough on the room to move to the Gallery wall. We've already got the foam cut for the bed, and a fitted sheet for it - it's sitting in the space and I can feel the flickers of excitement in my heart. Now, writing about it, I am again feeling that joy. I'll keep you updated on the progress! My goal is to have this done by mid November - a month before my due date (same timeline as Avie's room was ready before her due date!). 

Settling In

The house is coming along. We moved in for June 1st and now it's mid September. In my dreams, our house would be ready by now. In my plans, our house was going to be ready by now. But it's not finished. It's definitely not finished. That being said, it's still very usable and ready enough for now. My mom has spent my life telling me that hospitality has nothing to do with perfection - that hosting and loving people is about how they feel, not about how perfect the house is. So I keep trucking along, hosting and unpacking, as I can.

Our coffee station was originally something I thought I wouldn't be able to fit into this space and I'm so so so glad it does. I love it. We use it all the time. We had been given a Keurig Machine and bought a Soda Stream, and are so glad we can fit them all together here. My sister gave us the new wood piece on the right. My mugs all fit (regular mugs in the back, starbucks mugs in the front, white mugs on the top).

I created some tags to label all the areas. In the last house I realized that people had no idea where stuff went, and then it seemed even worse when I added four more baskets. So labels seemed helpful. I found these tags in the Target dollar aisle - they were wood with gold sparkle. I added the stripe and chalkboard label and voila!

I am so pleased with how well it works now that it's labelled.

Our room was one of the first rooms that was completed - our room had recently been madeover before we moved, so it was simply a case of moving it all over and figuring out the arrangements in a new space, with a few more pieces added. I finally got to add some chairs and a pouf to the space, so I have my long awaited seating space. We found this great grey and white patterned rug at Home Sense - I love it. We also got a great bench for the foot of the bed. I love seeing the room come together so quickly.

The space above my desk had annoying intercoms and alarm panels which don't work but took up lots of space. So we grabbed this piece from Ikea to cover them up and I love it! I put it together with my Mother in law (it was a real bonding experience, the instructions are not so clear) and it JUST fit. Thankfully. JUST. And every time someone comes in they comment on it. I also bought this chair, added a light grey fuzzy throw, and I love it. Comfortable and looks good. My desk has evolved a lot since these shots but it's not complete yet, so here is it is in the beginning stages.

And the living room - I love how big and open it feels. Ironically, when we came into the empty space for the viewing it felt smaller and darker, but with our furniture it feels open and bright. I love how easily I can move the furniture if needed...making the dining space or living room space larger or smaller.

We put my family piece into the entry way, which I like. It feels like it matches the grandiose feel of the entryway. But I wanted to add a fun carpet to make it feel more like me. I'm not that formal.

We also added a bench from Wayfair, with some baskets from Micheals and a row of hooks from HomeSense. It's very convenient. The space still feels like it has a long way to go but I like that at least for now, it's all very practical and useful.

There's lots more to do in our home but in the meantime we love living in it - we love the flow of the spaces and the longer we do life here, the more I can see what I want to build it in to, and what I want to tweak, and what should stay exactly as is. It's fun process - when I chose not to be overwhelmed by it!

Moving and dreaming

Normally when we are about to move I start dreaming - I have no ability to keep my dreaming in. I'm not sure if it's being busy or working or moving with a baby but I'm struggling to figure out how to imagine the new house with decorations. Usually my mind is swirling with ideas and dreams  but for this new house I can't quite imagine it. I think it's because it's such a nice house and I'm not used to that! Usually it's a make do, situation but this time, it's a real improvement and actually really nice. I'm not used to that! But there are a couple of pins that have caught my eye on Pinterest to do with a few key areas - my new desk and the entryway staircase! 

First up: the desk space! It's right between the Kitchen and Family room, next to the kitchen eating area. 

The Inspirations

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Floral Fun & a Fashion recipe

I'm so enjoying decorating and picking clothes for me and Avie - as Spring comes I always love adding floral into all areas of life. For myself I've added some flats in different colors, as well as floral flats from Payless. I've found myself drawn to prints and patterns and cheery colors. I am loving onesies for Avelynn and lots of fun colors. 

Floral flats for mom

Turquoise onesie for the little