I, personally, love a quirky exterior with a bit of edge. We were one of the few non-beige, light grey or white houses when we chose blue siding for our current house.

The contrast of black and white gives it that crisp, modern feel but the shapes and structure keep it from feeling cold or overly modern.

One thing that mattered a lot was curb appeal that is not copy-and-paste. We’ve driven past enough new builds to know when something feels too familiar (looking at you white farmhouse) and we wanted to avoid that.

The exterior also had to work with our floor plan. While I won’t be sharing the full layout for safety reasons, the exterior gives subtle hints about how the house functions. The only thing keeping me up at night is the lack of window symmetry. We couldn’t come up with a work around based on the floor plan. We did come close though. We plan to use landscaping to help balance things out.

Overall, the exterior sets the tone for the rest of the house. It’s trendy without being over-the-top. It feels like a home we’ll still love long after the current design trends shift.

Also, I really can’t wait to slap some giant spiders up on that white brick at Halloween. These are the thoughts that get me through building a house.

Here’s what we’re thinking:

What’s Staying

Some things are just too good to change.

• Furniture – our tried-and-true pieces that are comfy and actually work in real life

• Fireplace – my Winter in Iowa survival piece

• Natural light + great view – because nothing makes a living room better than sun and scenery (emphasis on the sun)

What’s Changing

• Two-story space – trading vertical drama for a cozier, more livable layout

• Built-ins – opting for flexibility over permanent storage

The Floor Plan (Sort Of)

For safety reasons, won’t be showing the full floor plan (you’re going to have to piece this baby together, intruders. Crime is a major concern in rural Iowa). Even without sharing every detail, you can see the vision coming together. We’re looking for a living room that feels warm, inviting and functional for our family. I know there’s been a push lately to close off rooms but we love an open main floor.

The Mood Board Vision

The goal for this room is comfortable and inviting with a few visual touches that elevate it:

• Neutral base colors layered with texture

• Warm woods and subtle black accents

• Furniture and layout that encourage hanging out (not just looking pretty)

• Pretty wall moulding is my love language.

Why Mood Boards Matter

Mood boards help us see the room as a whole before any walls are built or floors are laid. They’re not final but they give us a direction and a way to keep all our ideas organized. Plus they make the whole “building a house” process feel slightly less overwhelming.

Stay tuned as we start selecting more design details for the rest of the house!

I recently read “Everyone is Lying to You.” Spoiler: One of the influencers in the story had a living room & kitchen that were for show only. The actual lived in rooms were hidden from the main house. I know I should hate this idea. But it’s kind of genius.

Sadly, I only have enough American dollars for ONE living room and ONE kitchen. Here’s my actual plan…

How We Want This Room to Feel

The goal is comfortable and livable. We want the living room to feel polished without feeling formal. But it still needs to look cute. No recliners here. I am who I am. We need a space that works just as well on a random Tuesday night as it does when we’re hosting.

What We’re Keeping

Even though this is a new build, we’re not reinventing everything. There are a few things we already love about our current living room and plan to include in our new home. Our youngest child is a little apprehensive about moving. I’m hoping by carrying over our favorite parts of the house that she will feel at home faster. Here’s what we’re keeping:

• Our furniture – it’s comfortable, works for our family, and still feels like us

• A fireplace – the only way I survive an Iowa Winter

• Natural light – big windows and a great view are non-negotiable

These elements already work really well for how we live so the goal is to design around them.

What We’re Changing

This build gives us the chance to fix the things that are no longer serving us:

• No two-story living room – we’re trading vertical drama for a cozier feel

• No built-ins – NO MORE CLUTTER. I feel that I have never been able to style these built-ins well. And the dusting. Gross.

We’ve learned that bigger doesn’t always mean better and sometimes simpler is the winner.

Design Direction

The living room will lean classic with a modern edge:

• A neutral base layered with texture and pattern

• Warm woods mixed with black accents

• Comfortable, tailored seating

• A mix of old and new so it doesn’t feel like a showroom

We’re not trying to fill every wall or corner on day one. The plan is to let the room evolve naturally as we live in it. If we really miss built-ins, there is space to add them!

Designed for This Season of Life

Our kids are older and we entertain more casually. This living room is being designed for our current chapter. I no longer need ALL OF THE TOY STORAGE. I do love a busy rug and dark furniture though. Because dog and children.

It’s meant to be lived in, not tiptoed around. I mean, why have a couch that you can’t lounge on?

Please, make yourself comfortable. Sorry to interrupt your slumber.

What’s Next

Next up, we’ll start narrowing in on details like layout, lighting and how the living room connects to the rest of the house. I’ll be sharing mood boards and progress as decisions get made (and probably changed).

Thanks for following along as we plan this house one room at a time.

If you’re new here, welcome! If you’ve been around since the early days, thanks for sticking with us through a very long quiet season. I stopped blogging in 2019 (ok, probably more like 2015) and a lot has changed since then. Most importantly, we’re building a house. Again.

This will be our third home build and it already looks and feels a little different!

The Lot That Kept Calling Us

Our new home will sit on two acres. It’s in the country but still part of a neighborhood. It’s the perfect mix of privacy and community which is something we’ve always wanted but have never quite had.

The new lot has lots of pros:

• Five minutes closer to the kids’ school (which strangely adds up)

• Right on a walking and biking path that stretches for miles. SO EXCITED FOR THIS!

• The lot is flat. Perfect for backyard baseball, sprinklers and kids being kids. Let’s not forget plenty of space for our new pup, Mabel, to run off leash.

• Surrounded by the prettiest view. Iowa weather isn’t for the faint of heart but the sunrises keep me going.

• No neighborhood covenants!

Why Build Again?

Short answer?
We like houses. A lot.

Designing a home is something we genuinely enjoy. We’ve had our eye on this area for years but the timing never felt quite right. When the lots originally came up for sale, we had just finished a major remodel on our current home after a water disaster (Long story short: our reverse osmosis system leaked while we were on vacation and a remodel followed. Consider this your push to install a leak detection system in your home RIGHT NOW).

At that point, we were not mentally prepared to build again.

Fast forward about a year.

We kept driving by. Kept checking listings. Kept dreaming. Then we found out there were only a couple of lots left and neither of us could shake the feeling that this was something we were supposed to do.

The Practical (and Slightly Scary) Part

We reached out to a local realtor to get an estimated listing price for our current home. She told us inventory in our area is incredibly low (homes & residential lots) and things sell quickly. We watched multiple houses go under contract within days after that conversation.

Next, we contacted the builder who handled our remodel and asked for a very rough cost estimate based on a floor plan we had in mind.

At that point, we took a deep breath… and decided to go for it.

It’s a huge decision. A scary one. But also one that feels exciting and right.

This will be our third build but our first time working with a general contractor from start to finish. We’ll share more about that choice later.

A Little About This Space (Again)

When I last blogged, the kids were tiny. Now they’re 10 and 7 and life feels very different. I’m no longer drowning in diapers and baby gear and I finally feel like I have the mental space to enjoy this kind of project again.

Our OG blog dog, Ike, was with us through so many chapters and has since passed away. Last year, we welcomed Mabel to the family — and she’s already made herself right at home. 🐾🤍

I’ll be honest: I feel like a dinosaur trying to relearn social media. (I’m accepting applications for mentors.) I’m excited to document this build but keep your expectations low. I’m all about that 2010 style of blogging. Too many words. Blurry photos. Take me back!

Here you’ll find:

• Home build updates

• Room inspiration and mood boards

• Bits of real life along the way

• And maybe some favorite books, outfits and seasonal things too (because I can’t listen to the experts that tell you to niche down)

Slow and steady is the rhythm I’m aiming for. I’m going to try to be more active on Instagram and hope to post on here on couple of times a week. Sometimes an Instagram caption can’t handle all of the things I feel I need to word vomit. You know?

Thanks for being here. I’m really glad you are.

— Michelle 🤍

I’ve been hesitant to put out any Fall decor because it’s still Summer here in Iowa. Curling up in a pumpkin colored Sherpa throw sounds like a form of torture even for this always cold young lady. (Hey, it’s my blog. I can throw around adjectives like “young” all I want.)

Iowa weather is finicky. Cold weather will be here sooner than I like. Until then I’ll be in my backyard pool (kiddie version) sipping pumpkin spice margaritas. (Is that a thing? Should it be a thing?)

I have been stalking Target’s home decor section. I’m currently 25 days into a shopping ban. Once that calendar flips our house will reek of pumpkin spice and be covered in goldenrod!

Are you a seasonal decorator? Are you a team Fall decorating, Halloween or both?

Is there any greater joy in motherhood than dressing your children in matching holiday pajamas? That’s right. There isn’t. (Ok, fine. There’s the whole learning new skills and teaching them to be decent human beings stuff but besides that.)

All of those sleepless nights are quickly erased when your babies wear matching Halloween donut pajamas. Am I right?

I’m excited that Halloween is just around the corner and we can pull a couple of these out in the next few weeks!

Now I need to get to work on Halloween costumes. Clark has insisted on Donald Duck. You know, the one costume that they don’t make for preschoolers. Hence the reason he’ll be wearing matching pajamas with his sister until he’s 48. He’ll be 26 and I’ll be like “REMEMBER THAT DONALD DUCK COSTUME WHEN YOU WERE 4? PUT ON THESE MATCHING GHOSTS!”

Have you started thinking about Halloween yet? What are your costume plans (adult or kiddos!)?

Let’s discuss house cleaning today. Sounds riveting, right?

I often get comments about how tidy our home is. I think most people are under the assumption that I like to clean. While I do enjoy a tidy home, I wouldn’t say that I find cleaning enjoyable. It’s just one of those adult tasks that needs done.

Today I’m going to let you in on a few of my secrets for a tidy home:

1. A cleaning schedule

2. I don’t do it alone.

3. We keep our home picked up.

While I can’t necessarily help you with #2, I can help you with #1 (today) and #3 (later).

Let’s get started on creating a cleaning schedule that works for you. One that you will be able to stick with because it’s custom designed for you/your family!

TOUGH LOVE

First up. We’re going to need some tough love.

Your house will always get dirty. Every day. Your house will not clean itself. That’s why cleaning lends itself to so many great quotes.

• I could keep this kitchen clean if people would stop eating here.

• My house was clean and then the kids woke up.

• If insanity is doing the same thing over and over again then I guess I’ll stop cleaning

I think most people get hung up on thinking that cleaning takes too much time or that it doesn’t matter because it’s just going to get dirty again. You shower on the regular though, right? Why? Because you keep getting dirty. Same goes for your house. (If showering is hard, you should maybe work on that first before delving into the cleaning list. Baby steps.)

A clean house doesn’t need to be about perfection. The best way I’ve found to tackle cleaning is a monthly cleaning list. (Or a maid. Another great option. Wink, wink husband.)

WHY A CLEANING LIST?

Your house will be mostly clean, most of the time. Before having children I would clean our entire house in one day. I no longer have that time available to me. I am shocked at how our house seems to be cleaner by doing tasks daily (usually under 30 minutes). It used to bother me that our whole house was never clean at the same time. With two small kids, that perfectionism had to go. The majority of our house is now clean throughout the week. I have found that I do a more thorough job when I have less tasks to complete.

I no longer feel trapped by cleaning. I’m not always looking around at all of the cleaning that needs to be done. A pot boils over on the stove on Thursday, I don’t need to stress because I know the stove will be deep-cleaned on Monday. (Yes, it will be dirty for a few days. I can clean it sooner but I know I don’t have to.)

Everyone knows what needs to be done. This one is HUGE. House cleaning should not be one person’s responsibility (unless you’re living alone). Anyone making messes should also be involved in cleaning up messes. Nate and I split the cleaning tasks on our list Monday through Wednesday because we both work outside of the home on those days. I usually tackle Thursday and Friday alone because I am home all day. If my day doesn’t allow me to complete the tasks, Nate will help that night. Our 4 year old is responsible for things like clearing his spot at the table, helping to unload part of the dishwasher and putting his laundry away at night. Cleaning should not be one person’s responsibility.

STOP TALKING AND TEACH ME HOW TO MAKE MY LIST ALREADY

HOW TO CREATE A CLEANING SCHEDULE

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? Grab a pen and notepad. Pick a room, any room. Write down everything that you think needs to be cleaned. You can use my list to guide you but I want you to really look at your own home. My cleaning needs won’t be the same as yours. Repeat for every room in your house.

HOW OFTEN? Think about how often you want various tasks completed. Do you want to wipe down your kitchen cabinets every week? Or will the world not end if it’s only done every other?

WHAT TIME DO YOU HAVE? This is one of the biggest things to consider when making your list. Realistically Nate and I have about 30 minutes each night that we can devote to the list. I bet most people have 30 minutes as well. (You might miss out on a Netflix show or some social media scrolling. But your house will be clean.) I know if it’s more than 30 minutes, we’ll stop doing it. I usually spend about an hour on Thursday either playing catch up or doing Friday’s tasks only because it’s the most convenient day for me to do so. Our weekends are generally free from cleaning.

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO DO THINGS, WHO’S GOING TO DO IT? Nate and I are both more productive at the beginning of the week so I made Monday’s list a little longer than Tuesday and Wednesday. I’m home Thursday and Friday so I designated tasks that were easier for me to do with the kids around and/or during nap time.

Once you have your list compiled, it’s time to get to work!

TOOLS TO MAKE THE JOB EASIER

ROBOT VACUUM You will notice that “vacuum” doesn’t appear often on my list. Don’t worry, we’re not animals. Vacuuming is a robot’s work. I do not want to live in a world where there isn’t a robot vacuum. “Vacuum” is actually only on our list as a reminder to carry one of our two vacuums down to the basement. We have robots for our first and second floors that run daily. (We own a Roomba and ILIFE. We bought the Roomba originally. The ILIFE was a good deal. The Roomba works a smidge better but, for the price, we’ll probably buy another ILIFE when the time comes.

BONA HARDWOOD FLOOR SPRAY MOP This mop makes cleaning our hardwood floors a breeze. (I wish I could have the cool mopping robot but our floors aren’t sealed. Sad, first world problems.)

CLEANING CLOTHS

FAVORITE CLEANING PRODUCTS I know this will be controversial (like everything on the interwebs) but I like chemicals. Essential oils aren’t my game. (No judgement here, just not my thing). Here are some of my favorites: granite cleaner, glass cleaner, bathroom cleaner, laundry soap, multipurpose cleaner

GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK. We take a week off once a month. We complete a checklist and then rest for a week. I think this may be one of the biggest reasons we stick with this schedule. The week off is almost like a mini-vacation. It gives us a break without our house falling apart. We still do our daily tasks of dishes, laundry, etc but skip the deep cleaning. We also don’t skip out on fun things because WE MUST GET HOME AND CLEAN. If I go to supper with a friend, Nate will complete half of that day’s tasks and I’ll finish it the next day (or vice versa). We try to keep it flexible without straying too far from the list.

Here’s our current list as a guide for you. I HIGHLY encourage you to make your own!

DOWNLOAD THE FREE PRINTABLE HERE!

Happy cleaning! I’d love to hear how this list helps you out!

A big party took place at our home over Labor Day weekend. Someone let our baby turn 1 (rude) and our firstborn turned 4. Time, you cruel beast.

We decided to have a combined party for various boring reasons. (Their birthdays are 3 weeks apart. Most of our family lives out of town, yadda, yadda.)

My biggest first-world-Pinterest-Mom concern was combing a birthday party theme. Luckily my darling angels made it easy on me this year.

Puppies!!!

Clark wanted a “blue dog from Paw Patrol cake”. That’s it. Oh wait, and rainbow colors. Just that. Nothing else. Oh, and balloons. In rainbow colors. (Side note: Clark doesn’t watch Paw Patrol. He doesn’t know the dog’s name but this was his wish. Kids are adorably strange. And clearly victims of marketing.)

Margo LOVES dogs. She hyperventilates and flaps her arms like a crazy person whenever she sees a dog. We used to think she was getting excited to see us but quickly caught on that it was Ike. “DOG” was also her first word.

Rainbow puppy party it is!

I try to curb my crazy with kid birthday parties but they’re only young once, right? (I mean, I didn’t iron the tablecloth so that means I’m totally not neurotic, right? Or I ran out of time. Whatever.)

I love to use food in my party decorating. You need to feed people. They eat the food. You don’t have extra junk in your house after the party is over. Winning all around. There was no shortage of puppy cake or cupcakes. Puppy chow and “pup-peroni” pizza rounded out the party. (I used this video as a guide for the cake and cupcakes!)

My mother-in-law graciously babysat me while I was decorating the cakes. Margo’s smash cake turned out slightly more Star Wars character than dog. She did scream DOG DOG DOGGGG whenever we’d show her the cake. I considered that good enough.

I made my first balloon arch for the party. It shockingly wasn’t that painful. It took me about 20 minutes to blow up the balloons with a balloon pump and an almost 4 year old (one was more helpful than the other). I’ll link all of the supplies at the end of the post but balloon arch tape is a must. I assembled the arch in about an hour. Hanging was the hardest part of the process. I left that lovely task to Nate and my brother. There will be no words of advice on the hanging subject because I don’t want to know how they ended up doing it.

It was a beautiful day in Iowa so we took the cake smashing outside. This sweet girl ended up with frosting in her belly button. I could eat her up.

Clark has sang himself “Happy Birthday” since age 2. It makes me so happy and brings a tear to my eye every time.

This will also be known as the birthday where Mom matched the tablecloth. You win some, you lose some.

Party Sources:

Now that introductions are out of the way, I can share Margo’s nursery with you!

Way back in May I shared my plans for converting my former craft room into the nursery. This was the first time that I fully planned out a room before starting. This is also my favorite room in the house. I’m sure there is some lesson there but I’ve never been great at that kind of thing.

What am I great at? Baby snuggling.

The showstopper of this room is the ivy wallpaper from B Darling Decor. I’m crazy obsessed with it. Like I want to wallpaper ALL THE KINDS OF THINGS (a famous Clark quote around here). I need to do a separate post about installation. Quick summary: our marriage survived. It was touch-and-go that first hour but we were back to soulmate status the second hour. The issues were no fault of the wallpaper, just our crooked house. I still can’t stop staring at the wallpaper. Margo too. I’m assuming it’s excellent taste and not that whole “babies love black and white” thing.

Most importantly the wallpaper makes for a great backdrop for photos of my favorite people. I hadn’t even considered that before.

Now for more nursery photos. (I’ll link all sources at the end. Let me know if I forget anything.)

We went with an IKEA Hemnes 8 drawer dresser over an heirloom piece. Kids are hard on things. Styles change. It just felt like the right decision for us currently. Assembly was as easy as IKEA assembly gets. Nate and I are both a little shocked at the quality (pleasantly shocked). Clark likes to run that pink ottoman into it daily to help with diaper changes. It’s handling that beating like a champ!

The chair is amazing. I’ve logged many hours in it over the past 12 weeks. It’s super comfortable. The perfect size. Rave reviews from everyone, including Ike. We’ve since added this small side table. Nate was going to build one and never got around to it. I needed a place for my water bottle, Haakaa (breastfeeding Mamas, you NEED this!), and pump. Amazon Prime for the win. (How did newborn Moms survive before?) We like it so much we’ve since ordered a second for by the crib to hold the AngelCare Monitor.

Many things in this room are the result of middle of the night pregnancy insomnia Pinterest scrolling. Like the rabbit print. It speaks to me. Nate hates it. I’m sure Margo will love it. (She has great taste, remember?) I found the “little lady” sign in the Hobby Lobby clearance section for $2! We use Ivy the Goat in Margo’s monthly photos. (As I’m typing this, I’m noticing an Ivy theme. Weird.)

The wire basket has the glamorous role of holding diapers and butt paste. (Not shown because we didn’t end up buying them until like a week before her arrival. We like to live on the edge.)

The bow holder is actually a towel holder. I wanted something that organized the bows but also made them easily accessible. Mission accomplished.

We used a double curtain rod to hang the curtains. They are room darkening but not black out. Layering them while closed helps to darken the room.

The “Sweet Dreams” art above the crib is another one of those insomnia deals. I had trouble deciding on this part of the room. Cheap prints with cheap frames equal cheap large scale art. (Dear Safety Police, they are hung on the walls and also secured with approximately 957,308 velcro command strips. I honestly don’t know if we’ll ever be able to remove them.)

The crib was Clark’s. We (also known as Nate) painted the dark wood toned base black because the room was clearly ruined if it wasn’t black.

I made the quilt this Summer. It was a labor of love. (I used these Robert Kaufman Blushing Bouquet charm packs.) Quilting and planning a nursery are the two things that help me bond with baby during pregnancy. I spend the time during these projects thinking about their arrival, personalities, etc. Sappy hormonal stuff. The quilt gets used during monthly photos.

The last project in this room was switching out the bi-fold closet doors. We plan to do this to the others in the house because it’s a fairly easy upgrade. Also kids and bi-fold doors make me nervous.

Nap time is over! Back to chasing a 3 year old with a baby strapped to me. Boy has time (and this room) changed since I started blogging 10 years ago! It’s messy and beautiful and I can’t see what the next 10 years brings!

Sources:

Ivy Wallpaper, IKEA Hemnes 8 Drawer Dresser, Rabbit Print, Sweet Dreams prints, Soho Comfort Glider, Ivy the Goat, Bow Holder, IKEA Ribba Frame, Quilt Charm Pack, Crib, Crib sheets, Curtains, Pink Ottoman (thrift store), Round mirror (similar), Wire basket (exact: Hobby Lobby, similar), Pink clock, “M”, changing pad cover, Wall color (Sherwin Williams Privilege Green)

Let’s start with a life update. I was going to share nursery photos but it feels weird to share that without properly introducing our newest family member.

Margo joined us on August 21st. Her labor was pretty uneventful. I ended up getting an epidural. I’m going to rank that up there on one of my best life decisions. I’m super thankful for a healthy pregnancy and equally thankful to no longer be pregnant. It was a tough 9 months but totally worth it. (File that under one of the parenting cliches that are annoyingly all true). Margo’s been a pretty easy baby from the start. (Minus that witching hour and hatred of the car seat. We all have our things.) Everyone describes her as “sweet” and I’d say that’s extremely accurate. Sweet baby Margo.

We’re all adjusting surprisingly well. The transition from one kid to two has been way easier for Nate and I. The lack of free time and constant demands of parenthood were a shock to us with Clark. We thought we were prepared and we most definitely were not. I don’t think parenthood is something you can actually prepare for until it happens. That shock isn’t there this time. Babies are exhausting but other than that, it sort of feels like she’s been here with us for way more than 11 weeks. Our little family feels complete.

Clark is crazy obsessed with his sister. He’s very concerned about where she is at and what she is doing. He LOVES to sing to her and her face lights up every time. I feel like they are going to be team trouble before I know it. Having a baby and a toddler is no joke but it’s exhaustingly fun.

Everyone always asks how poor Ike is handling life. He surprisingly really likes Margo. And she’s started to be very interested in him. They have a cute little relationship developing.

I have some house updates and a few crafty projects that I’d like to share. I do have to return to work in the next few weeks though so hopefully I find the time! Precious, precious time.

All photos: Molly Timmerman Photography

Today I'm going to share with you our favorite baby products.  Babies are all different so what worked for us, may not work for you. (Or you may feel like certain products are garbage/not necessary/less safe. That's totally cool. We are all just trying to do what's best for our littles!) This post is for those clueless moms-to-be (like my former self!) that need a place to start or those of you looking for a great baby shower gift!

After living with a little person, I quickly learned babies don't actually need all that much. Especially in those first few months. The majority of baby items are just things that make your life easier. To assemble our registry, I read a lot of blog posts and pieced together the items that kept coming up over and over again.  We created registries at Amazon and Target. The rest arrived via Amazon Prime when I was like "Crap! We really do need that!"

Click on the photos to be taken directly to the products! *affilate links included*

SLEEP

Precious, precious sleep.   

We have the Baby Marley crib. It's been great. Zero complaints. I would totally buy this again (and probably will if we decide to keep Clark in his crib). The set up was easy. It's safe. It's cute. The Angelcare monitor is a total first world purchase but the peace of mind that came with it was worth every penny!  A cool mist humidifier is a good thing to have on hand during the Winter months for those stuffy noses.  Low moisture in a room can actually make a baby's stuffy nose worse. (The things you learn.)

I would register for sleepsacks in multiples of every size!  They come in different patterns and fabric options. Our little guy slept better swaddled and our favorite swaddle, hands down, was the Ollie. It's definitely more money than I wanted to spend on a swaddle but it was the only one that would do the job with our little Houdini. (Our velcro did stop working after like 3 months but they replaced it with no questions asked. Excellent customer service!)

You'll need a crib mattress, matress pad protectors and crib sheets. I'd get 2 mattress pad protectors and 3-4 sheets. Sadly, barf happens!

I hadn't originally planned for Clark to sleep in our room. Babies sleep in cribs, right? I ended up feeling safer with Clark in our room for quite awhile (read up on the new guidelines to be safe!). I borrowed this Arms Reach from a friend and it was fantastic! I think we are actually going to set up the crib in our room this time.  One less transition to make later. 

We have a Nest camera with Clark but we are switching to this Amcrest camera for the new baby. The Nest times out often and isn't my favorite as a baby monitor. (We LOVE the doorbell though!)

I'd suggest a good sound machine. Because sleep is important. The one we have is no longer available but we do have the micro fan and love it. It's crazy how a tiny machine can produce so much noise! I think we'll be getting the Hatch for this baby.

Not pictured but totally needed for sleep are blackout curtains. I don't even care if they are ugly. Get some. You will thank me.

TOYS

I didn't originally register for a lot of toys but totally should have! They're fun to buy and you'll need them quicker than you realize. All of the following are baby Clark approved! (Esepcially those IKEA men. He's still obsessed with them!)

DIAPERING

We chose to go the disposable route but I do have a lot of friends that cloth diaper.  I'd suggest doing research to see what is the best fit for your family!

All diapers have mixed reviews but we've had great luck with the Up & Up brand.  The butt paste is a total must have.  Clark had only one small rash in his almost two years of diaper wearing. (Pharmacist tip: Apply it with every diaper change as prevention during especially poopy times!) 

The diaper genie gets mixed reviews. We received ours as a hand-me-down. No complaints. If it starts to smell, we empty it before it's full. Rocket science.  The wipe warmer is usually laughed about but Clark stopped screaming during diaper changes when we turned it on so we kept with it.  You don't mess with the lack of screaming with a sensitive baby.

Boring but useful registry items...the changing pad and cover. Those cover protectors were serious changing pad cover savers (so much easier to wash!).

BATH/HEALTH

Everyone recommended a first aid kit. I've really only used the clippers and comb out of this. The NoseFrida is super disgusting and I always made Nate do it. Gross but extremely effective. it works way better than the suction bulbs. Boogie wipes: buy stock!

Probably a parent specific thing but we use approximately 100 wash cloths in a week. We tried a few different bath soaps but the Burt's Bees won! I also like that's it's a body wash/shampoo in one! Any ol' towel will do but these animal towels are so fun (we have 3...because walruses!).

I don't feel strongly about a lot of baby products but this Angelcare tub is one I rave about it. We still use it at two. It keeps him confined and makes hair washing a breeze. Clark loves these bath pipes but those stacking cups up in the toy section are also a bath favorite.  The bath caddy helps keep your tub clear of the toy mess!

These are my pharmacist approved infant meds! (Check with your pediatrician on the tylenol dosing!) I'd suggest having all of these on hand. You hate to think about your little one getting sick but it's better to be prepared!

FEEDING

Oh, the lawn! I was so happy to put this away but it was quite handy. Along with the bottle brush cleaner (that we still use for sippy cups!). Bottles are very specific. If you breastfeed, I do recommend giving the Munchkin Latch a try!

I'm a firm believer in fed is best! I did breastfeed for a year and these were my go-tos. I'd go with the best breast pump your insurance will cover (especially if you're a working mama!). I'd also buy a second set of pump parts. I finally broke down about 6 months in. Total game changer. Skip the breast pump specific bags and find a big ol' cheap one to do the job!

The standard bib will do at first but I have VERY strong feelings for these sleeved bibs. They are my new shower gift. We have 6. They have saved me from having to fight stains EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Love them. Want them in adult size for my husband. 

We didn't register for big kid food supplies but these are our favorite. 

Love all 3 of these! We're using the Ingenuity seat now as a toddler booster seat. The Ikea high chair had such mixed reviews but it looks so darn pretty. We have zero complaints about it. We did purchase the inflatable insert for his early dining days. It cleans easily and was inexpensive.

ON THE GO

We loved the ChicoKeyFit car seat. Easy to install. Easy in and out. We also liked that we only needed to purchase an extra base (verus a second car seat) beings we have two cars. 

We also love the City Mini stroller. We walk almost every day and it's smooth sailing!

If you have a Winter baby, this car seat cover makes traveling a breeze!

Baby wearing was great for our lifestyle. Especially with a baby with colic! Clark pretty much lived in the Solly wrap for the first 3 months of his life. We then graduated to an Ergo. I'm going to try the Tula Free-to-Grow based on recommendations from friends. I like that it can be used right away without an insert!

There are so many great diaper bag options. The above two are the ones we own and love. They are the prefect size and Nate and I both feel comfortable carrying them. We started with a crossbody diaper bag but ended up preferring the backpack for convenience.  If I had to choose between the two, I'd choose the first option. It's larger and has more pockets. It also looks a lot more expensive than it is.  We have the Kanken in Frost Green and it's so pretty. I prefer this bag when we're headed out to run errands or somewhere the bag may get dirty. The diaper bag insert is great if you want to keep your own large purse! I originally thought I'd prefer the "keep my own purse" method but I've found it easier to have a separate diaper bag. This way I can leave it with grandparents, etc and not have to worry about making sure I have everything packed.

I'm generally not a "crazy" parent but I'm pro cart cover, especially in the early days and/or Winter. So. Many. Germs. 

We recently purchased this car storage container and I LOVE IT. It keeps all things baby/toddler corralled.  I have a small selection of toys that are reserved for longer car trips. Our son is only allowed to have these during the longer trips so it keeps them new. I keep this container in our mudroom and toss it in the car while packing.  One less thing to have to worry about when traveling!

We travel fairly often and spending the extra on the 4Moms Breeze (versus a Pack and Play) has been totally worth it. It's set up is so easy! We also have this cheapo monitor for travel and it's worked out great.

OTHER HANDY ITEMS

The frog chair is totally ugly but Clark LOVED it. (There's a much cuter version out now!) And it allowed me to clean, cook, etc. Beautiful frog. I have fond feelings for this ugly seat.

We ended up receiving two Rock 'n Play and I'm glad we kept both. One for our bedroom and one for the main floor. Clark wasn't a swing fan but loved these. 

This Exersaucer was a hit. And slightly easier on the eyes than others. Slightly.

You can never have enough swaddle blankets (aka burp cloths, blankies, stroller covers, couch protectors, dog blankets). 

We had two of these Covered goods covers. One for the infant seat and one for nursing. Big fan!

TOTALLY NOT NECESSARY BUT GREAT ITEMS FOR NEW PARENTS

File these under totally not necessary but awesome.  

The best things we did ourselves right after Clark was born was buy a Roomba, crawl into a super comfy bed and binge on Netflix shows.

I thought the Roomba was beyond frivolous when Nate originally purchased it but it is now considered a member of our family. It's not that we don't have time to vacuum our floors. It just that I'd rather spend that time doing something else. 

Those Perfect Linen sheets are made of miracles. Seriously the softest sheets I've ever slept in. I originally received them as part of a sponsored post way back in the day and I'm still raving about them!

Also, make yourself some freezer meals! I was constantly thanking pregnant Michelle for her hard work.

Holy cow that seems like a lot of STUFF. But like I said, most of it is just convenience! Enjoy those baby snuggles!

Prior to having children I was always like "Why can't people get their nurseries done before baby arrives? You've got 9 months people."  Oh, naive non-mother Michelle.  What I didn't realize is that you feel like garbage the first 3 months. You spend the next 3 months getting your life back in order. Then you're like "HOLY COW. A baby is arriving in 3 months."  The latter is where we're currently at.

I had high hopes of being almost done with the nursery by now but babies have a way of showing you who is boss even before they arrive. I've had to move much slower this pregnancy than I did with Clark. I don't exactly handle moving slowly well but it's at least given me time to really think about the nursery plan.

My former craft room is being converted into the nursery. 

I've been receiving two questions: 

1. Am I keeping the chevron? 2. Are you sad to see your craft room go?

Answers:

1. Nope. I'm over the chevron. Good-bye. Interestingly enough we started repainting this room 5 years to the day that I started stenciling the chevron wall. It had a good run. It really would be easier to just plop a crib and dresser in here but you all know I can't do that. I must make things a challenge!

2. Honestly, I'm so excited for this baby and let's be real, my crafting time is limited these days. The only thing I was sad to see go was the green buffet but my brother adopted it which helped ease my pain!  I'm still debating keeping the button art above the crib (firmly secured, of course).  I packed up the items that I actually use and they are being stored in our basement guest closet. I donated the rest. It was nice to go through this room with a purpose and free myself of the items I will never use.

Next up, the plan.

The walls that were formerly grey have now been painted Privilege Green by Sherwin Williams.

The chevron wall will be covered in ivy wallpaper from B Darling Decor. I was debating between wallpaper and shiplap. Nate was totally against wallpaper at first but he was okay with shiplap. I sold him with the fact that the wallpaper is removable so if our darling daughter hates it 10 years from now, it'll be much easier to remove than shiplap.  (Also, sort of over shiplap. Say what?) 

The plan is to accent the grey/black/white with blush/rose. I purchased some inexpensive blush blackout curtains at Kohls. (Blackout curtains are one of my most recommended baby products! Because sleep.) I found the most perfect blush ottoman for under $20 at a local antique store. (Disclaimer: The wall color doesn't look accurate in the photo below.)

The ottoman will be paired with a rocker. I think we've settled on this one from Amazon.

We are debating between quality furniture and IKEA for the dresser.  We have really been focused on purchasing higher quality items but I think IKEA is going to win. Because children.

I'm still working on the finer details (where I always struggle).  I have purchased this stupid cute rabbit print and fun wooden camera. I still need crib sheets and a changing pad cover. More art work. Shelving. You know, necessities for a baby.

We'll be transitioning Clark (see his nursery here and here) to a twin bed and the baby will get his crib.  Wish us luck on that transition!

Nate and I are both motivated to get this going before July so I'll keep you updated!

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