Bedroom shuffle part one billion

Ah our cozy little Room of Requirement house. It continues to satisfy our needs at every stage of life. As I noted in my October goals post, we once again have a need for a bedroom shuffle. Some of you thought the scope of this project was ambitious for a single month, but we got SO MUCH DONE in a day that I think we might make it!

Clearly we need to paint this room because what the actual eff were we thinking oven choosing this color (called calypso) in the first place? (Cooper picked it when he was 6).

We have 2 new mattresses in here on the the beds from Cooper and Harry's previous room. The beds and mattresses that used to be in here are gone to a good home (for free!) thanks to the magic of Facebook Marketplace. Mattresses thanks to a Prime Day sale. Each college kid has a dresser, a bed, and an IKEA EXPEDIT  book shelf. We need to paint FOR SURE and empty out the closet so they have room for their college things when they come home. The wall next to Jack that is not pictured is a chalkboard wall (COOPER WAS SIX, OK?) and we will probably also paint that my god, but everyone still kinda likes it so maybe not.)

Cooper's room has one queen bed from our room and that's about it-- I like this room a lot-- it's very chill and quiet. Needs some stuff on the walls and maybe a chair next to the EXPEDIT shelf.

Which leaves our room, which is an unholy nightmare.

We are getting new carpet! Yay! And also taking everything off the walls and painting and rearranging stuff (duh) and likely adding chairs or a small loveseat. Soon because the whole thing sucks right now and is kind of stressful to live in.

Soooooo-- progress! yay! And lots more to do! boooooo!

Some random things:

sometimes you gotta take a snack on a walk

ben and I got to run together-- after sunrise!

putting her desk to good use

love this 

she went to a meeting with me at school, sat totally quietly the whole time and drew pictures in a tiny notebook. this is a first for me.

walking the dog before swim team practice

perfect mom hair for school

I took a selfie walking down the stairs at work because I have been walking down these stairs since 2003, and that's WILD

this tastes like a candle. it was free with my regular shipment.

 

Room shuffle, part one million

 I have often joked that this house is like one big room of requirement, and this sentiment came true again over the weekend as we finally reshuffled bedrooms to give the boys their own. And! We did this for almost zero dollars.

We spent

$80 on paint

$60 on lamps and an end table

$75 on extra bedding

$80 on 2 twin beds from FB marketplace

(But then I sold a bunch of old clothes to Plato's Closet for $50 and we made $20 on Harry's old bunk bed).

Coop's room, boob light and all: (yes there are 2 TVs because what if you are doing a flight simulation over the ocean and need to also watch a show?) (I have already taken a Zoom call in there and can confirm it is perfect and very quiet).

Jack's room (the first time in his entire life that he has had his own room!!) (yes there is vinyl on the floor-- this was our playroom when we built the house) (yes there is tape on the floor-- Jack and Harry made a squash court a few years ago).

When Harry is home for the summer, I think Jack and Coop will move back in together, but we'll see. Maybe we will get a pull out sofa for the family room and someone can sleep out there? Keeping our options open for sure, and I have no doubt that the house will present a magically perfect solution when the time is right.

5-ish on a Friday: Autopilot

Like I mentioned in my dinner post, I am finding that with our fall schedule, a routine that I can mostly set and forget is really helping life feel easier-- and not just at the dinner table.

I have started using Notes on my phone to mange my blog content ideas-- I have never actually managed these in any systematic kind of way before, and I like how cute Notes can be. I have a one note with headings for each month, and I have even already started on NaBloPoMo:

Other decide once/set-and-forget things I am loving right now:

(I basically aspire to be a human crockpot or the person equivalent of hot rollers. THIS IS MIDDLE AGE)

Picking out clothes for the week. Minnie does this on Sunday night with me, and we have actually cleared out a dresser drawer to stage her outfits. She selects clothes, any accessories she might need, socks-- everything for each day. We fold it neatly, stack by day, and stash it in her dresser. When she wakes up on school mornings, she can start getting ready for her day all on her own. I am choosing my teaching outfits and potentially clothes for other days I HAVE to be on campus on Sundays as well, which is when I do any ironing, track down belts that go with dresses and locate any shoes that might be hiding on the shelf. Dorothy has also been getting in the act, but she only picks like 3 good outfits and then runs out of steam and tosses whatever in her pile. SPOILER: when she gets to the "whatever" clothes at the end of the week, she doesn't want to wear them and scrambles for other options. Soooo she is working on tweaking her process.

One plan for Friday nights: scary movie and poker-- this is **chef's kiss** and something we all look forward to.

School lunches on repeat. When everyone wants the same-ish thing every day, shopping and prepping is a BREEZE. Same for after school snacks. Cooper always gets a chicken apple sausage, a fruit, a protein drink, and a pouch of Yoggies, and whatever leftovers we have on hand (if there are no leftover, perhaps some chicken nuggets). Dorothy brings an apple with caramel dip, string cheese, and chocolate-covered pretzels OR if it is a dinner-at-dance night, she packs 2 school lunches-- one for school and another one that I bring her after school to eat at dance. SO EASY YOU GUYS.

Coffee Fridays-- such a fun treat for Dorothy and Cooper (and me!)

Getting outside every single day (thanks to HAVING A DOG and also the CBWC)

Starting every single morning with a run-- it's THE BEST (who the hell am I?!)

Room Makeovers!!!!! WE ARE DONE! (except for one picture for over Minnie's bed)

 WE did it!! By WE I mean BEN who painted, laid laminate planks, and assembled the bed and vanity ALL BY HIMSELF. (Coop put together an IKEA book shelf).

Ok! First up, Dorothy's room. 

Here is the before:

And here's the after!!!!

I LOVE IT SO MUCH!

All the new stuff in Dorothy's room meant that Minnie got a glow up, losing her toddler bed and Newton crib mattress (LOL FINALLY) and gaining some cool stuff

Old Minnie room:

(Can you even with tiny Annabel??)

NEW MINNIE ROOM!!

I love both of them so much, and so do the girls

Next up: we make our storage room into a 6th bedroom/den, and the boys all shuffle-- stay tuned!!