Chic Living: Making a (BASE) House a Home

It is so hard to believe that we have been here for three months already. Now that we are settled I am getting the itch to decorate and turn this house into a home. I never got the itch to decorate in Texas. That house didn't inspire me or speak to me but this one speaks volumes.

It may be the natural light or the fact that this house just has a better layout. Either way, I have been adding little touches here and there so I figured I'd share some of my makeover goals with you.

The first thing I want to do is buy curtains. We need curtains for the living room and some window coverings for the back sliding door that leads to the backyard in the dining area. I also want to redo our dining room chairs (again).

I don't like the first fabric choice I made. Now that I know how cheap and easy it is to do the chairs I'll be searching for a fabric that I absolutely love. I'm thinking a solid color would be great next to curtains with a pattern.

Savannah has been asking for a big girl room lately. I really want to convert her bed to a full size and give her room a big girl face lift. We already have the frame for her bed. I just need to get her a new mattress and figure out a theme for her room. She likes pink so I plan to weave that color in somehow.

I really love the window seat in her room and I want to make that a special place for her to read. So far she's been using it to drive my OCD in overdrive.

And then there's our room. I honestly just want new bedding. I grabbed our current comforter when we moved to Texas in 2012. That comforter has seen better days. Between the kids and the move it has a large rip in it (that had to be done with scissors - no one knows how it got there 😒).



I am kind of obsessed with clean white sheets. So my dream bedding would probably be an all white big fluffy bed but I do love a lot of the fun pillows I'm seeing lately so I don't know which way to go.

We'll be here for at least three years (hopefully) so I really want this place to feel like home. Share your home style inspiration with me in the comments. Got any suggestions for curtain colors for the living room?

SIDE NOTE: That couch is our ride or die. She's not as pretty as she use to be due to all the kids and the moves that she's endured. I think some pillows would give her a nice face lift...

Army Wife Life: We Have Too Much Stuff

If I open one more box of crap I just might pass out. Like, really. No one needs this much stuff. When I mean to tell you that the number of crayons and pencils we own is right up there with Office Depot - I'm not kidding.

Unpacking an entire house with three small children has been a test of my patience. I might be failing that test too. I'm not a person that can live in clutter so having boxes and their contents all over the place is sending me to a bad place.

This picture does not do the mess justice. It seems like the more I unbox, organize and setup the bigger the mess gets. I have been making Goodwill piles and trash bags left and right. In three to four years when it's our turn to move again I swear I won't be in this situation again.

I have managed to get the kitchen, laundry room, garage, additional storage space/craft closet and the kid's rooms all done. The only room left for me to do now is the master bedroom. Once we get rid of all the donation piles I think this place will finally start to feel like home.

I'm ready to start enjoying our new home. We have a fenced in backyard that I am dying to start focusing on. The kids will have a blast playing back there. The fact that they can go out and play and I don't have to worry about chasing Mikey has given me so much life....

I just love looking at all the trees that are back there. Many of my favorite mom bloggers are decorating their outdoor spaces. I feel inspired to give my little patio a makeover. I'm on the hunt for some patio furniture and a fire pit.

Hopefully this place will be fully unpacked and "done" in a day or so. Have you seen any cute patio sets? Tell me where to shop for them in the comments!

Army Wife Life: Live from the Pacific Northwest!

This is my first post from our new place! Well, not our house, because we don't have one yet but I am writing from our new zip code and that's basically the same thing. Either way I am excited to be in a new place.

Before I start showing you all that is the beauty of the pacific northwest I thought I would catch you up on how we got here.

The movers came last Thursday and packed up all of our things. They came back on Memorial Day to load it all on the truck. I couldn't believe that they were willing to work on holiday.

Our cars were scheduled to be picked up on Monday too but they weren't because the driver on the truck wanted to eat hotdogs and drink beer instead of driving his route. I can't blame him but it did suck to be stuck with the stress of finding someone else to ship our cars at the last minute.

If I'm being honest, I kind of had a feeling that I would end up having to hire someone else to ship our cars. When I woke up Monday morning I just knew he wasn't coming. Maybe I'm psychic?

Going back to Thursday - I checked us in to the hotel on base to wait out our last few days in Texas. We stayed there while everything was in boxes. This room was small. Real small. I don't know how we keep ending up in these tiny rooms when we request suites but such is life and we deal with it...

We took a shuttle to the airport Wednesday morning. A friend was nice enough to follow us in his car carrying our luggage. I'm not sure how we would have made it without the help.

Once we were on the plane everything started to settle down. I was relaxed and happy to be starting something new. Then Mikey started screaming his head off snapping me back into reality. This ain't no vacation.

He cried for about 15 very long minutes. There was nothing I could do. I offered him candy, a drink, an iPad, my soul - he turned it all down for the attention of a meltdown. Once he was tired he took a seat on the floor and was happy for the duration of the flight.

I'm sure our entire plane appreciated that.

I was "one of those Moms" with a screaming kid and I was so unbothered by the stares. A friend told me not to worry if something like that happened so I didn't. I just watched him until the show was over.

We landed in Washington, rented a minivan (that I feel needs a review) and we've been working on getting settled. I can't wait to share tons of pics of our adventures here. This place is truly so beautiful.

Army Wife Life: Prepping and Packing...

Our movers will come to do an inspection of our place next week. My husband casually mentioned that last night at dinner. I thought they were coming close to the actual pack date, but nope.

I have been doing my best to prepare for the move. I've been throwing stuff away left and right. There are so many donation piles upstairs that I'm starting to lose track of what goes where. I am determined to get rid of a lot of toys before we go.

Normally the movers handle the heavy lifting. Literally and figuratively. If I didn't want to do anything before they arrive it would be okay but the OCD in me just won't let them be great at their job. I want things organized the way I'd like to see them arrive in Washington. All kitchen items together. All DVDs together. All linens together... you see where I'm going with this.

Most of the time movers are okay with a little pre-packing if they can check out what's in your box/container. To make it easy I use transparent containers with lids. They're cheap, easy to carry and reusable. 

So between now and our inspection my goal is to box up and organize toys, declutter, donate items and stay on top of laundry. We'll need about two weeks worth of clothes to make it while we're between houses. Not to mention that I want all the laundry to be clean before it is packed.

I have already done the boy's room. Savannah's room is up next. It's a disaster. 

I asked her to go through her toys and find toys that she wants to give to another little girl and this was the aftermath of her giving heart...

The movers come and we move into our hotel in 16 days. I'll continue to document our experience. If you've done a big move with kids before please share some tips with me. What made it a smooth experience for you?

Army Wife Life: We're Moving To...

Now that plans to move are more concrete I am ready to officially share where we're headed next. I thought our next move was going to be overseas but God had other plans for our family and we are headed to the great Pacific Northwest...

Washington state to be exact. I am beyond excited to live there for the next few years. Savannah and I took a girl's trip with my Mom (to visit my brother) years ago and I remember loving it there.

The air was so crisp and clean. The scenery was amazing - the mountains, the trees, the culture and the people. The food was so good. While in town we ate in Chinatown in Seattle. Hands down the best egg rolls I have ever had in my life. We also took a walk thru Pike Place Market and it was exactly how it looks on tv.

I remember the vibe being so chill even though there was tons of city life around us. There were street musicians (that I wish I could find video of), food trucks and that sense of hustle and bustle that only a city can bring. 

There was also lots of history to take in too. The totem poles were absolutely breath taking...

I'm looking forward to being stationed near family. My husband and I both have family members that live in driving distance to where we'll be. I'm excited about exploring a new place, walking trails and getting reacquainted with all four seasons. I haven't had a Fall or Winter in years.

Most of all I can't believe that we'll be surrounded by water and the mountains. Something about the thought of that immediately puts me in a good mood. 

Here was my view from the plane during our girl's trip...

So the countdown has officially begun! The movers have been scheduled and I'm in the process of preparing our house for their arrival. The amount of excitement I have is unreal.

Have you ever been to the Pacific Northwest?

Army Wife Life: Planning Our Move

When March greets us tomorrow that will officially give my little family 90 days (or less) in our house. We are in the beginning phases of planning our move and it's making me that much more excited.

At some point during my pregnancy I started to get that ready to move itch that military families get. It may have been the hormones but I was so over this current duty station and ready to experience something new.

This is our fifth move in 11 years, not too bad. Now that I'm a bit more seasoned with how the process works I have figured out a few things that make the transition easier on all of us. I think moving in general can be hard on a family. It doesn't matter if you're moving across the street or to a new time zone like we are.

Now that we are three kids deep I am going to be proactive, organized and down right militant to make sure this move goes off without a hitch. Here is my plan to make sure we have the best move possible this Summer...

Celebrate where we are - I plan to have the family make a list of all the places they want to visit again before our time here is up. I feel that this helps us deal with saying goodbye a bit better. We'll check out all of our favorite places one last time before we chuck the deuces...

The logistics - When are the movers coming? Are we driving? Are we flying? How long will we be in a hotel? How much stuff will we need while in limbo?

Purge, Purge, Purge - I have already started getting rid of anything I don't want to see or deal with when that moving truck pulls up at our new house. Toys, clothes, shoes, baby gear, unused furniture - you name it. Everything that has not served a purpose must go.

Organize, Organize, Organize - When the movers arrive to pack everything it helps to have things as organized as possible. When like items are together when they arrive you have a better chance of them ending up in the same box and labeled for the same room. This is how I avoid having a flat iron boxed up with a blender.

If you need it while in limbo... - PUT IT IN YOUR CAR! Do not leave it in a room or closet. Do not think that labeling a room or closet will keep them from boxing that stuff up. Whatever we need to make it until our things are delivered to us always goes in the car.

Plan activities for packing day - There is no way I'm going to have all these kids running around while movers are here. The movers tackle your entire house in a day. Having kids running around doesn't sound like the best idea so I plan to leave my husband here to deal with the movers while the kids and I go play.

Focus on the future - Research schools, neighborhoods and fun activities in your new area. Plan some activities for the few days that you'll be living in the hotel. It's kind of like a built in vacation so take advantage of this time to become familiar with your new surroundings before your service member returns to work.

I have the next three months to get us ready to go. We have already decided what fun things we want to do again before leaving. This week I am going to start the purge process. With soccer season starting back up it will probably take me a while to get things thrown out or donated.

Tis' the season for new beginnings - let's get moving! Anyone else moving soon? How are you preparing?