Five weeks down and one week to go in this shared kids’ room decorating project. The kids are excited to finally move into their new bedroom but Mom and Dad have quite the list left to accomplish.
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What to do with all your kids’ stuff is a major dilemma of parenthood. It starts early. Excited expectant parents register for all the things including things that experienced parents know will never be used (hello, diaper wipe warmer). You’ve seen it play out in restaurants across the country a million times: new parent walks in with baby and half a storage unit of stuff in tow. Parent of toddler hardly notices because toddler has a full backpack of toys just to get through a 45 minute meal. Parent of college student observes the scene, sips her beer, and smiles. Her hand bag is big enough for her keys, phone, and wallet only. It is a progression that we all go through. Sooner or later, we all begin to throw things out when our kids aren’t watching. No? Just me? I didn’t think so.
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I spent several days last week living in a rainbow. The outside was absolutely amazing. So fun. My room was another story. Purple carpet, lime green walls/headboard and curtains, and my bathroom was orange with beige tile. I should have taken a picture of it to share with you but I knew it would be forever etched in my memory as a bad dream so I didn't even think to photograph it.
The lime green and purple (as well as a keynote by Stacy London of What Not to Wear) got me thinking about good ideas gone bad. (Also, just a quick footnote from this design snob to whoever decorated those bathrooms: if you are going to go big, go big. For heaven’s sake, don’t leave the old brown tile and think it just works with an orange and purple bathroom.) This can happen to the best of us, for sure. Decorators are not immune. So let’s talk briefly about some decorating decisions we should try to avoid and what to do instead.
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Last week while dropping my kids off at school, I discovered that there were new lines taped on the ground where kids stand in line to wait for the restrooms. Earth shattering news to start a post with, right? Stick with me. One line was pink and the other line was blue. Now, I may not have noticed or even taken issue with the pink and blue lines had it not been for the nearby sign on the wall, written in childish hand, that said “Stop Stereotypes”.
Read MoreIt’s raining and cold outside today and all I want to do is curl up with a blanket and a good book. Do you remember the last time you actually did that? Me either. As much as I’m very squarely in the camp to stop the glorification of busy, I’m still guilty of completely over scheduling myself at all times. Don’t get me started on the over-programming that is our lives these days. I could write am entire blog series on my thoughts about over scheduling our kids, and of course, I continue to do it myself. “She really wants to play soccer and take karate and be in scouts and do book club and yoga. How can I make her chose when she’s just exploring her options?” It’s a sickness, I’m sure.
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Can I get a drum roll please? Because this has been a fantastic project and it needs all the fanfare….Welcome to Nicky’s Hygge Bedroom!
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It is week 5 of the One Room Challenge and things are actually coming along quite nicely thanks to lots of hard work from Nicky’s mom, Deb.
Last week, we talked about moving Nicky’s bed into the corner to give her the cozy hang-out space she was after. That move opened up a ton of floor space. Over FaceTime during week 4, while Deb moved the bookshelf for the 20th time (oh, and did you notice there is a new bookshelf in the room? Ch-ch-ch-changes….), Nicky’s face lit up at the idea of creating a specific area in her room for doing make-up.
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For whatever reason, I’ve had a portion of the voice over from the Muppets veterinary hospital skit rolling through my head for the last week. Totally dating myself, but c’mon. Anyone remember it? “… [T]he continuing stooooory of a quack who’s gone to the dogs…” Definitely watch the whole clip (after you finish reading this, of course). When was the last time you heard that many corny jokes in a row? Life has been a little bit like an overdramatized soap-opera around here lately (and I'm not talking about this challenge). I think it is going to my head. Like Rolf, I’m hoping my sense of humor is staying intact.
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