House Tour!

We moved last Saturday, thus the weak Takes last week and non-existant social media presence for several days. Remember how I wrote about being a minimalist a few weeks back?? HA! I have tons of crap – tons and tons of crap that I am still putting away and organizing. We moved several times in the first few years of our marriage, usually while I was pregnant or had a newborn, and while many things were easier this time around, our family is much larger and everyone has much more stuff than the last time we moved ten years ago. I know that everything will eventually find a new home in this home, but it’s hard for me to be patient.

In addition to the physical demands of moving, there’s all the paperwork. This week I tied up loose ends with our old school district (regarding the younger boys- homeschoolers have no requirements in NJ) in preparation for the transfer to a new district. All signs point to a smooth transition so fingers crossed there’s no awful surprises.

To give my back a rest, I finally took the uncomfortable step of walking through the house with my phone and making a video. Although I was reminded of why I don’t do more off-the-cuff videos (kids hate being in videos, the lighting is always bad, I never know what to say, etc.) I wanted to document these first few days in our new home. There’s the stress of moving, but there’s many more wonderful moments that Tony and I look at each other and smile because we’re finally living in the home we’ve dreamed about for years. (Sure, it’s not at the beach, but except for coastline, it meets every other criteria. Plus we can walk to a train station that will take us right to Atlantic City.)

A few notes for the video:

• Our house was built over four years by a man who was a mason and concrete worker. He completed it in 1962. We purchased it from his two daughters after the death of their father and mother. We feel blessed to own a home that was so carefully built, maintained, and loved.
• I reshot the opening introduction 50 times and it’s still awkward.
• I may sound like a tyrant but I’m not actually mad and yelling at Teddy to get out of the frame.
• The attic is unfinished but one of the first things we’re doing is turning it into a bedroom for the girls. Once they move upstairs, Byron will move into the blue bedroom. The attic spans the length of the house and includes a cedar closet. We’re finishing about half of it and leaving the rest for storage.
• We have three different couches in the living room; I call it frat house decor.
• Teddy is making fighting sounds in the background, we’re not living in an active war zone.
• The hallway and doorways are surprisingly wide for a house of this time period. It’s really easy for the boys to drive and spin around.
• We’re taking up the carpet in the boy’s room, the hallway, and the living and dining rooms and laying hardwood floors in couple months.
• Once the tile work is finished in the boy’s bathroom, we’ll be able to roll the bathchair from the bedside, to the toilet, to the shower, with minimal transfers. HEAVEN!!!
• The boys can’t get into the basement now, but we’d like to eventually get a lift that would allow them access. That said, we feel like the main level has plenty of room for them to drive and play. Family movies, games, etc. all happen on the main level. When we entertain, rather than sending the kids into a basement playroom, the kids will stay on the main level while the adults retire to the bar.
• There’s already plumbing in the basement for another half bath, so we’ll be adding that ASAP too.
• Look at the tiny number of books in my library; I’m freaking Marie Kondo.
• We have no plans to immediately remove or paint over any of the wallpaper or dated features of the house. Everything is in great condition and besides the mural, I don’t mind any of it. I will probably try to decorate in a way that compliments what we have rather than rip it all out and redecorate in a style that will seem just as dated in another 20-30 years.

But enough with the type-edy type-edy, here’s a video for you to watch! Laugh at my awkward facial expressions! Marvel all all the vintage wallpaper! Fall in love with all that storage space! Then link up your own Quick Takes below! Be sure to include a link back to this post so your readers can enjoy them all!