Getting Settled

We have been in our new home for almost two weeks and I am starting to feel settled, which is always a good thing. I grew up in a military family so constantly packing and unpacking was our normal. If you know my mother personally, you know she made every single house feel like a home immediately. I remember each house always feeling like ours within a week of being somewhere new. I honestly can’t believe she was able to do it so many times…and do it well! There is something so comforting to having your house put together and feeling like it’s your own space.

I recently shared five ways we helped our toddler adjust to the change. You can read about them here: Helping Our Toddler With Change. Today I wanted to share things we did to feel settled in our new house. I would love to know your tips or tricks!

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1.Unpack One Room At A Time & Organize 

I love to organize, but it can be extremely overwhelming when it is an entire house. I feel like it is way less stressful when you tackle one room at a time and actually put things where you want them to go, instead of leaving everything out in a big mess. My husband would unpack each box and I would put it where I wanted it in that room. It was a great system and gave us both a job to use our time efficiently. We set decor pieces/wall stuff to the side to tackle once we had everything set up/put away.

2. Prioritize Each Space/Room

Decide which spaces need to be unpacked first, or hold priority. For example, we tried to get our son’s room set up so he could play and have all of his things before we did our room. We also saved the garage until the end to see what we needed to store/organize after the house was completely set up.

3.Hang Last

We kept every wall piece to hang in the coat closet to tackle once we had our furniture set up and everything organized/put away. It was nice to see everything we already had and decide where we wanted it in a new space. Once we decided on our current pieces, we made a list of additional items we wanted for each area.

4.Make A Home List

Once you start decorating, begin making a home list of things you would like to complete each space. I like to keep it on my phone so I can remember what we discussed. It can also help with spacing purchases out and deciding when you want to buy certain items.

5. Make It Your Own

It is so easy to get sucked into what we think our home/space should look like with social media. Although I think many styles are absolutely beautiful I always want to make sure our home feels like something collaborative between me and my husband. We don’t really have a specific style, but like a little of everything. Our goal is to always create a space that feels welcoming and cozy. We want it to be lived in, where messes are okay, but still simple and clean. Find what makes you happy and stick with it!

Blessings,

Jac

 

Helping Our Toddler With Change

I recently shared that our family just went through a big move. You can read more of our story here: New Beginnings. When my husband and I decided this was the direction our family was headed, I was a little nervous about our toddler adjusting and what that experience would be like. It turned out to be better than we anticipated and he did absolutely amazing! I wanted to share ways I tried to make his transition as smooth as possible when there was a lot of change going on in his little world.

I would love to know anything that works for your children or ways you help your family in periods of change/adjustment.

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1. Talk About It

A month or so leading up to us moving, I talked to our son about it every single day and what that would look like. We talked about being with Dad, having a new house, his new room, the movers coming, the moving truck….basically anything and everything. I truly believe this helped so much in preparing him and allowing him to understand what was happening.

2.Keep Some Routines In Place

As hard as it is to keep any sort of routine, keeping 1-2 things consistent or stable helps keep a part of their world “normal” during a hectic time. You can read why I value routines here: Why I Value Routines

3.Be Aware Of Your Energy

Children will feed off and respond to the energy you put out. We really made it a goal to stay excited the week of the move to get him excited. He stayed so happy throughout, which was exactly the way we were staying and it helped tremendously.

4.Give Them Attention

This can be so hard when other things are taking your attention and you need to “get things done”, but they need you during those unfamiliar times to be a reassurance. My in-laws actually visited the first couple days we moved in so I could get things done with the house while they played with our son. It was so nice to know he was getting the attention he needed/wanted. My husband and I also did a lot of things once he went to sleep.

5.Make It Special

I think it is so important to make change a good experience. The little things can go a long way and can leave a lasting impression!

Thanks again for following along!

Blessings,

Jac

 

Valentine Goodies 2020

With Valentine’s Day approaching, I thought it would be fun to share what I am doing for my husband and son. I love any reason to celebrate or do something special for both of them, and always love getting ideas from others! It truly is so much fun to celebrate things with a toddler. I purchased mailboxes a couple of years ago from Home Goods that I love. I generally fill those with a card and favorite snacks/treats. I also like to get something a little nicer that goes along with it to wrap.

I would love to know anything special your family does!

Toddler Valentine 

  • Book
  • Play Food
  • Vehicle Magnets
  • Chocolate & Squeeze Packs

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Hubby Valentine 

  • Favorite Treats
  • Sauce Pan
  • Date Night

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I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

Blessings,

Jac