The kids' room is getting a little makeover. If you've been following me on Instagram (@smileandwave) you've probably seen the slow progress of finally getting to IKEA, bringing home some new furniture, putting together a bunkbed, and piecing together new matching quilts for said bunkbed.
We spent most of two weekends ago clearing out and cleaning their room, switching dressers with them, rearranging both of our bedrooms to make sure things would accomodate space for the baby, and figuring out how to reorganize both rooms. Two full days of work still left us with a lot of work to do. My motto became 'worse before better'. This past weekend I hunkered down to start these two quilts for the kids while my sweet, sweet husband did loads of laundry and dishes, guided the kids in cleaning their room, took Sebastian out on a dude date, and never once rolled his eyes at my to do list. It's been weekends like these that I realize just how much I missed him while he was deployed!
Since we'll be in this two-bedroom rental with three children for about eight more months after this baby comes in March it's been important to me to rethink our limited space. The kids have shared a room since Ruby came along but the bedrooms here are a bit smaller than our last two homes so thinking about fitting a bassinet in our room and later on a crib in their room has been challenged me to think more creatively about how we utilize our square footage and storage options. We took care of most of that earlier this month so now the fun part of adding in new elements and reworking old ones has started.
Here's what we've tackled on the to do list so far:
* Switch twins out for a bunkbed.
* Switch dressers for more clothing space including a drawer for the baby.
* Switch shelving by adding an IKEA expedit unit and move old shelving to our bedroom to use for the baby's stuff.
* Add a rug.
* Bring in secondary lighting.
* Purge the toys and books they've outgrown that I don't want to save for the baby.
* Add a chair for bedtime reading or lounging.
Here's what I'm still hoping to accomplish:
* Finish matching quilts customized for bunkbeds.
* Possibly paint the bunkbed.
* Add purchased black and white artwork from online sellers.
* Possibly paint a chalkboard wall that we'll repaint white before we move.
* Add pully system and twinkle lights to the bunkbed.
* Give wooden dollhouse a face lift.
* Blow up a photo of the kids at Kinko's and use it as artwork.
* Adhere temporary white or patterned wallpaper to built-ins to lighten the space.
I'm planning their space to keep up with their current needs but I'm also making sure I can easily rearrange things once we add in a crib sometime next summer. The Expedit can double as a changle table area with at least one cubby for diapers and wipes underneath and baby clothes can be stored in one of the dresser drawers and in their closet. I'm also trying to coordinate the colors in their bedding without overly matching the kids' stuff to the baby's stuff but when things coordinate well even the messes are a little more tolerable, am I right?
Do I sound like a nesting mother? There's no rush to get this done before the baby comes but I do want to have it mostly finished before Christmas so we can go in to the new year with that under our belts. There are also other things on the horizon that will need much more of my attention so I'm trying to take advantage of this little window of motivation.
I'll be sure to share bits and pieces on Instagram and do a new room tour once it's all as it should be. There may even be a DIY or two involved. Of course there will be!
What's been taking up most of your to-do list lately? Lots of little projects, something big? Do you feel like you're just treading water trying to keep up with the essentials like dishes and laundry? By the way, I've never felt so buried in housework and unable to spend time on anything creative like I did during the time Brett was away. It's also made me appreciate how valuable that creative time is and all that it does for my spirit. I hope you get some of that time in soon!
-Rachel