Hello from… drumroll please… the new house!! Oh my goodness what a whirlwind of a week; we are so excited to be in our new home. We officially got the keys on Wednesday and somehow managed (with a lot of helping hands) to get all our possessions here. We had my mom and David’s parents here on move in day and thank goodness for that because it took all hands on deck. My mom stayed through Sunday and was a workhorse with helping to unload boxes, put things away, break down boxes, and doing it all with a happy smile on her face. I truly could not have done it without her.

We’ve done so much in the past few says. The kitchen is organized, we have places to sit and beds to sleep in, and 20+ hours of sweat equity later, we have a Sactional couch assembled in our rec room. The goal for new house is for every item has a home, and we are well on our way.

.

Four on Monday

We are all excited to start connecting with our new community and getting into the swing of our new routines. Things will probably be a little all over the place for a little while, but that’s ok; we are all just excited to finally be in this space that we’ve poured so much into over the past year. Looking forward to showing more of it to you in the coming weeks and months as it comes together. I intended to check in with you earlier but lost my computer during the move and only just recovered it yesterday, so thus this four on a… Monday 🙂

October Reader Favorites

• Picturepedia – I love that this incredible book tends to remain a reader favorite. It’s engaging for ages 4+, a great gift, and a beautiful addition to any home library.
• The Christmas Pig – a magical read aloud for the holiday season that we reread each year. Reminder- it starts off sad! But if you push through, wow… so good.
• My. Willowby’s Christmas Tree – A warm and fuzzy, rhyming, well illustrated picture book for all ages that we love to pull out every Christmas season.
• Mouthguard Cleansing Tablets – Warning: they will prove to you how not clean your retainer/mouthguard/mouthpiece really were prior to using these awesome tablets.
• Swedish Dishcloths – Scrub well, dry fast, don’t get smelly, and come in a pack on 10. Fully biodegradable and compostable.
• Xlear Nose Spray – Unlike other normal saline nasal sprays, Xlear contains Xylitol, which is known to reduce Streptococcal and other bacteria and prevent adhesion in the nasal cavity. In short- I use this daily to clear my sinuses and reduce the number of viruses and bacteria getting into my system.
• Countertop Cheese Grater – this thing has gone viral for good reason- it’s easy to use (shred cheese, grate carrots, slice cucumber, etc) and easy to clean (into the dishwasher).
• Cursive for Kids Workbook – an affordable, simple to follow cursive workbook for kids who want to learn cursive in an easy and natural way.
• Restickable Dots – these have a strong stick and don’t ruin paint, making them perfect for posters and pictures in kid rooms! We used them to put butterflies on Kaitlyn’s wall and cut each dot into fourths; they worked so well.
• Rechargable Electric Lighter – because it’s a must have for cozy candle season!

Halloween in our New Neighborhood

While packing and coordinating, I also was trying my best not to drop the ball on Halloween. The kids love Halloween were very excited about dressing up and candy and meeting new kids, and we thankfully were able to gather all the items we needed and get them to the house without losing them as we moved in the day before Halloween.

Our old neighborhood went all out and we were a little uncertain what to expect in our new community. Well, color us happily surprised because the evening was a blast! We met in the early evening for chili and pizza at the neighborhood pavilion, then the kids took a hay ride through the neighborhood to trick or treat, and ended back at the pavilion for the best part- trading candy. We met so many neighbors and it was a great kick off to being here.

.

Seven Point Outfit

Have you heard of this concept? I just learned about it a couple weeks ago, but it states that if you want to look fashionable/pulled together, the secret is to shoot for a seven point outfit. What are points? Your shirt/top (1 point). Your bottoms (1 point). Your shoes (1 point). That gives you three pretty easily, then it gets a little trickier. Other 1 point values include: jewelry (not each piece, but altogether), accessories like belts or scarves, a handbag, a statement hairdo or hair accessory, cute sunglasses, etc.

If you get to seven points, them BOOM, you will look fashionable. Sounds silly, right? But also… makes sense? I told the girls about it and Kaitlyn came up the next morning with a goal to get to seven points- I think she rocked it! (especially considering she was currently living out of a suitcase).

.

Pantry Organization

Today is all about stocking the pantry so I can get cooking again- yay! I’ve referenced my own pantry organization posts and have a good feel of how I use items and how I want them best organized. This truly feels like my Super Bowl, a moment I’ve been dreaming of since I saw this space sketched on paper. It symbolizes my return to the root of so much that I love- making soups, feeding starter, growing herbs, juicing wellness shots, homemade pizza nights, among so many other things. For me, getting this pantry set up is the first into making this house really feel like our home.

.

I’m so excited to share this process over the next few months and take you along on my journey from transforming this place from house to home. More to come, now that I’ve found my computer. Praying for a peaceful week for you and for all of us. Talk soon <3